So, you’ve read the books and you get the e-mails.
You think you’re a Pleasure Revolutionary, do ya?
Okay, then.
I am impressed.
But let’s just see how pleasurable your life really, really, really is.
It’s “radical act of pleasure” time.
Take this quiz to see just how much pleasure you currently squeeze out of a day in your life….
1. Before you leave the house, you always make sure to…
A) Pull on those black yoga pants with the elastic waist. That’s about all you can manage in your mad dash.
B) Ingest breakfast, even if that means just grabbing a granola bar.
C) Sit for 5 minutes and savor a cup of tea with your favorite news publication
D) Spend at least thirty minutes devoted to your passion–whether that takes the form of learning the Spanish guitar, enjoying the company of a lover, or researching patterns of butterfly migration. No matter how you spend your day, you’ve already put your full attention on what you love.
2. On your lunch break, you…
A) Continue working, full speed ahead. Who has time for lunch?
B) Mindlessly scarf down the same takeout you’ve ordered for the past three days in a row, while checking your emails.
C) Leave your office to go meet a girlfriend at one of your favorite restaurants.
D) Go for what truly feeds your soul that afternoon: first, thoroughly savoring enchiladas drizzled in cilantro-avocado sauce that you packed the night before, until you’ve practically licked the plate clean. Then, a few minutes spent paging through one of your favorite magazines. On top of that, taking a moment to spritz on a bit of perfume and reapply your favorite lipgloss. And polishing it off with a quick brag session with a girlfriend, co-worker, or any lucky person in your vicinity.
3. While running errands, you normally…
A) Move at warp speed, so you can get it all done as soon as possible and avoid traffic.
B) Pop in your earbuds and listen to your iPod, so you can be in your own world narrated by Michael Jackson.
C) Make it your mission to flirt with at lease three people you encounter.
D) Flirt with everyone on your pathway, and on top of that, always insert at least one “wildcard” errand into your routine: extravagant window shopping at a store you’ve never visited before, an act of anonymous good, a trip to the ASPCA to play with the puppies, etc.
4. When passing a mirror you…
A) Wince
B) Fix your hair and reapply your makeup
C) Wink
D) Whisper sweet nothings to yourself in Italian because you think it sounds sexy
5. You typically conclude your day by…
A) Passing out on the couch, fully clothed.
B) Making a to-do list for tomorrow.
C) Watching another episode of your favorite TV show.
D) Slipping on something luxurious, climbing into bed, and sharing gratitudes with a loved one for the privilege of having had another full day on earth.
Bonus:
6. You find out there are only 20 seats left at Mama Gena’s upcoming Intro night, so you…
A) Do nothing.
B) Decide to think it over and make a decision at the last minute.
C) Put it on your desire list and call The Palace at 212-787-2411 x1.
D) Click this link to enroll now.
Mostly A’s – You place no value on your own pleasure and as a consequence, still have none of the things you truly want
Mostly B’s – You are in touch with your pleasure and appetite, but frequently ignore it
Mostly C’s – You know how to insist on your pleasure in ways that feel familiar to you
Mostly D’s – You are willing to go extremes for your own pleasure and make your own rules in the game of life
I want to know your score.
Give me the details, the challenges, and the ways you are currently overcoming them.
And if there is anything specific you want from me next week, please post that right here, too!!
And remember, I’m giving away five seats at the Intro night to the women who post the most Radical Acts of Pleasure on their Facebook and/or Twitter profiles. Any act of pleasure you complete qualifies as a radical act. In order for your post to count, you must use the hashtag “#RadicalPleasure.” If your post is going on Twitter, be sure to mention “@mamagena” For example: “@mamagena I put flowers on the desk of every one of my co-workers this morning #RadicalPleasure.” If your post is going on Facebook, you must tag “Mama Gena’s School of Womanly Arts,” so that it posts to our wall. We will be posting daily Radical Acts of Pleasure on our own Facebook page, for your inspiration. In order to count these assignments as your own radical acts, you must create separate, stand-alone posts that mention them, following the guidelines above (rather than replying in the comments section below our posts). You have until Friday, February 3rd at 5PM to post your radical acts.
Go out there and insist on some radical pleasure for yourself. Make your Mama proud.
With so much love and pleasure,
Mama Gena
Photo: lizlinder.com
