Douglas Weiss - The Power of Pleasure: Maximizing Your Enjoyment for a Lifetime

Also by Douglas Weiss, Ph.D.

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The 7 Love Agreements:Decisions you can make
on your own to strengthen your marriage

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and Create a Positive Future, by Denise Linn

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Relationship Fulfillment, by Dr. John F. Demartini

The Power of Infinite Love & Gratitude:An Evolutionary
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The Power of Touch, by Phyllis K. Davis, Ph.D.

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for Inner and Outer Success, by Michael Neill

Your Destiny Switch:Master Your Key Emotions, and
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The Hay House titles above are available at your
local bookstore, or may be ordered by visiting:

Hay House USA: www.hayhouse.com
Hay House Australia: www.hayhouse.com.au
Hay House UK: www.hayhouse.co.uk
Hay House South Africa: orders@psdprom.co.za
Hay House India: www.hayhouseindia.co.in

Copyright 2007 by Douglas Weiss

Published and distributed in the United States by: Hay House, Inc.: www.hayhouse.com Published and distributed in Australia by: Hay House Australia Pty. Ltd.: www.hayhouse.com.au Published and distributed in the United Kingdom by: Hay House UK, Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.uk Published and distributed in the Republic of South Africa by: Hay House SA (Pty), Ltd.: orders@psdprom.co.za Distributed in Canada by: Raincoast: www.raincoast.com Published in India by: Hay House Publishers India: www.hayhouseindia.co.in

Design: Tricia Breidenthal

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public or private useother than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviewswithout prior written permission of the publisher.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Weiss, Douglas.

The power of pleasure : maximizing your enjoyment for a lifetime / Douglas Weiss. 1st ed.

p. cm.

ISBN-13: 978-1-4019-1197-3 (tradepaper) 1. Pleasure. I. Title.

BF515.W38 2007
152.42dc22

2006031301

ISBN: 978-1-4019-1197-3

10 09 08 07 4 3 2 1
1st edition, May 2007

Printed in the United States of America

This book is dedicated to
Virginia Schaffer (19232006),
who was a pleasure
to every soul she touched.

Contents

Please Note: All of the stories and
case studies in this book are true;
however, all names have been changed
for confidentiality purposes.

W e all live in a world full of incredible pleasure, yet many of us dont feel as if were getting enough of it from our life. So often were working, raising families, having relationships, and taking care of other responsibilities that tend to give us less time for ourselves and our unique pleasures.

You see, as a counselor for more than 18 years, Ive regularly seen people who are drained of pleasure. They might call it burnout or sadness or say that theyre just not enjoying themselves. I call it not having the power of pleasure in their life.

Youre about to enter a world of pleasure. This isnt just anyones pleasure; its uniquely yours. In the following pages, youll discover exactly what gives you real joy in your life.

We all have limited time for pleasure, so its important that we experience it fully on a regular basis. Doing so is what makes life fun and enjoyable for all of us. Youre holding a guide that can identify, maximize, and actually put into practice your optimal pleasure. Before you finish this book, your life and schedule can become extremely different. Once you recognize what your pleasures are, youll actually get out your calendar and schedule them in. And as a counselor, I know that if you can get something down on a calendar, its at least ten times more likely to happen.

You deserve pleasureactually, you deserve the power of pleasure to be an integral, invisible force in your successful life. There are several secrets to a rewarding life, and the power of pleasure is one of them. Like many such secrets, its not something that youre taught in school. Im a perfect example of this: I have four degrees, and I was never offered a class on pleasure!

Strap yourself in for a ride down the river of pleasure. Ill be your guide, just as Ive helped many others navigate their way along the pleasure river. At the end, youll find greater energy, more smiles, and a more elevated spirit about the life youll be enjoyingnot just living.

So grab your oar, and be prepared to paddle through the canyons to discover your pleasure hierarchy. Once youve been down the river, you become your own guide for the rest of your life. Later youll help others find their pleasures, and ultimately youll become a part of the team of those who have the power of pleasure flowing through their new and happier life.

F rom the top of your head to the soles of your feet, youre a pleasure machine. If you dont believe me, have someone massage your scalp or wash your hairor better yet, get a nice foot ruband see how much you enjoy it. Yes, youre absolutely, unabashedly, a pleasure machine!

Knowing that youre created for pleasure is critical to living your life to the fullest on planet Earth. Your understanding of your very own pleasure zones and pleasure hierarchy can make everything so much more enjoyable. Not only will your life be better, youll also live more harmoniously with all those other pleasure machines on the planet.

Its strange that along with so many important issues in life such as money, sex, and marriage, pleasure has no classroom. As I mentioned in the Introduction, Ive been fortunate enough to earn four degreestwo of which are in counselingyet I havent taken a single course on pleasure! Imagine going your entire life without ever stopping to examine your pleasure zones.