The Pleasure Induced Catalyst

Did you know that people … that would be ‘us’ … apparently respond better to pain than to pleasure.

As in, people prefer to move and do something about life when something is painful, rather than by moving towards pleasure.

Now, who said that? Who came up with that?

Well … none other than Sigmund Freud and his Pain Pleasure Principle. It states that - we are more motivated to avoid pain than seek pleasure because pain triggers an immediate, survival-oriented response, creating a stronger, more visceral urge to change our situation, whereas pleasure is a "nice-to-have" benefit that doesn't demand such immediate action. Pain signals something is wrong and requires an urgent response, while pleasure is a reward for actions that don't necessarily need immediate action.

But that posits that we are all so fixated in survival that that is just the way it is ... but is that the case OR have we all just been conditioned to belief we are in survival mode? And if that's the case ... what then?

And … what if, because people have learned about this or heard about this AND heard/learned about 'pain point marketing', they become conditioned to believe it to be true and then, act accordingly.

So, if I was to tell you that you could make your idea a reality, and that I knew it was a dream you have to make it happen, you might be programmed to think that that was ‘just a nice idea’, because making your dreams a reality is nice but not necessary because its not a survival based need. It isn’t urgent because there isn’t a bear chasing you through a woods and your life isn’t in danger. So … meh … you just leave it to the side and say to yourself ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’. ‘I’ll make my dream come true another day’, even though that dream could be something burning so bright inside you that it NEEDS to be made real. You will set aside that need as something that isn't too big of a deal because of the lack of trigger.

However, if I say to you that I know you are struggling, stressed, overwhelmed, exhausted and fed up that this idea you have hasn’t happened yet, and you’re broke and feeling like a failure and if you don’t do something now, life will go on being the way it is and you will be stuck here forever, which means you can't provide for your family and you are one week away from losing your home, it might just trigger you to get up and do something about it. Because you don’t want to feel like that anymore, because enough is enough. The proverbial bear is chasing you and you're done running.

Can we shift all of it?

Yes … we absolutely can because .. for one thing to be possible ‘The Pain Pleasure Principle’, anything and everything outside of that thing must also be possible … Let’s give it a name … ‘The Pleasure Induced Catalyst’

Now, I know which I am moved by mostly. In most scenarios I am moved by pleasure. I have had enough pain in my life to last me 24 lifetimes so … I don’t want someone poking me in my pain points, I don’t respond to it and won’t move from it (in all but one area, my health.

But if someone comes along and shows me a way to do something from a place of pleasure, you can be damn sure I am ALL IN for that epic-ness.

So … does that make me an outlier? Yes

And … does it make you one too? Yes

And is there anything 'wrong' with that? No

See, I don't want to condition you any more than you have been.

I don’t want to poke you in your pain points any more than you’ve already been poked.

I see you in your full power and love you in exactly that way so … I want to poke that pleasure centre of yours and see you move accordingly.

When was the last time someone poked you in the pleasure centre by the way?

I want for you to not be the ones that psychology and good old Freud have conditioned so much that you think you can only move from pain.

I want you to be someone who wants to move toward pleasure, in pleasure, and with pleasure because it's possible.

And just to be clear, pleasure doesn’t mean the absence of effort … just think about an orgasm … that takes a heck of a lot of effort but my god is it of immense pleasure. So worth it right?

Pleasure and effort go hand in hand.

Pleasure and work go hand in hand.

Pleasure can go hand in hand with a lot of things if we choose to see it as just as powerful as pain is to move us.

In fact, I would consider us choosing to see pleasure as more powerful than pain and then … act accordingly.

If you’re in my space then you should know by now that I encourage critical thinking. I encourage deep contemplation of things we have been taught are the whole truth and only that truth, because someone like Freud said so. How do you think he came up with his idea?

We are allowed to question everything and rework things to be better.

And THAT is what freedom is at its core.

Open to possibility!

Where do you feel free?

Where is your pleasure?

And what effort are you willing to put in to having it?

A very happy and pleaasurable Monday to you all

xoxo

Ciara