Recently, I was called hedonist in the context of it being one of my flaws. Hedonists like to maximize pleasure by minimizing pain. I can’t really see that being a flaw as long as it is not harmful to others. The irony is, in my personal training role, I tend to be a bit of a sadist. I have to be. But I try to be as nice as possible about it. Hedonist and sadist are contradictory. How can I be both?

Easy. We are all multifaceted. I know that pain will happen. It is how we grow. I also know that suffering exists because we cannot remove ourselves from that darkness of pain, internalizing and projecting onto ourselves the messages of being unworthy and unlovable. People get stuck being a victim, even though they may loathe the perpetual victim, the role is just easier than taking responsibility for our own happiness.

I loved the movie “Michael”. He embraced all the great pleasures (particularly sugar, challenges with bulls, and dancing) life has to offer. I think if you believe in God, you are the way God experiences life. You think God wants to be a sad sack of “poor me”? Or do you think God wants to have fun? Personally, I think we do enough to piss God off on an on-going basis. I want to elevate the mood and energy, not just for God, but for me! If that makes me a hedonist, well so be it. Life if too damn short, people, to be filling it with victimhood, anxiety, anger and depression.