Delayed Gratification vs. Prolonged Pleasure

The other day, I walked out of the drugstore and something caught my eye that?made my heart?thrill... my Giulia.

Even on a gray day with rain dripping down her grill, my car is gorgeous. So gorgeous, I stopped to take this picture.?

I didn't buy her yesterday, or last month. It's been seven months since I brought her home. And I had my eye on her for seven months before I bought my Giulia,?saving up to pay cash for her.?

?I don't call?this "delayed gratification." Instead, I call it "prolonged?pleasure."?

When I anticipate something I really desire, it makes me appreciate it more intensely and for a longer period of time. Even after I finally get?it!

Think about it... We see a purse, a watch, a gorgeous sweater on a social media ad and buy it within minutes. It arrives a few days later, and we think, "Oh yeah, I really like this!"

But, when we have been pining over a luxury handbag, a sports car, or dream house for months, even years... There is another level of desire that instant gratification can't hold a candle to.?

When we finally open the designer packaging, walk into the dealership, or step across the threshold of our new home, there is a thrill of victory, an almost sexiness?to the satisfaction of finally owning it. And that feeling lasts, so we continue to treasure the object of our desire long after we make it ours.?

Curation over consumption. A careful selection of what we bring into our lives.?This approach assures we are satisfied with our purchases, and we continue to care for and enjoy them over time. Money well spent.

When money supports your happiness, it's not delayed gratification, it truly is prolonged pleasure.?

My goal for myself and my clients is this: to look around at our lives, our possessions, our experiences, our generosity, and feel lasting contentment.