in pursuit of pleasure...

Is there not enough fun in your life? Does the idea of pleasure send you into a puritanical dilemma? Do you think self denial is the way to go?

Stuff that.

I'm sending out big thanks and much love to Lisa Clark (no relation) the author of three new books for positive ladies: Livin la Vida Lola; Lola Love and the Rainbow Hearts and Cupcakes and Glitter Shakes. Lisa is the ultimate feelgood author for girls, with her endlessly upbeat, go-for-it style and pink obsession. But Lisa doesn't just restrict her perking up to the younger generation, and she very kindly sent me a copy of a book (which happens to have a pretty pink cover too) called "Mama Gena's School of Womanly Arts" the other week.

OK, so the title of that book makes it sound a little, well, naughty. And you know what, it has its moments...Bitte en Chat anyone? But the book isn't just about sex. it's about having fun with your life and how going all out to enjoy yourself doesn't make you a selfish person - because when you're happy and enjoying yourself, you're in a damn fine position to be able to help other people enjoy themselves too.

Get in touch with the real 'You'

Mama Gena thinks that we're all big girly flirts at heart, well the ladies among us anyway. And that we should harness this natural ability to make ourselves and the people around us feel good, to make everybody'sday that little bit more smiley. She's won my vote with her cute chapter headings, like "The womanly art of having fun, no matter what" and she's an absolute devotee of being happy in your own skin, whether that skin is stretched over a size 20 body or a size 10 version.

I love this quote from the website too:

"It is so easy to live a miserable life and it takes great skill to live a pleasured life. You have to be so disciplined. Pleasure is not for sissies. It is for the courageous. You have to have a lot of guts to insist on your pleasure. Most people are not encouraged to be the source of their own fulfillment and their own joy. They are encouraged to be victimised by the culture, or the circumstances, or being a woman, or their upbringing. Pleasure forces you to take responsibility to really get yours."

You know what? I'm definitely up for having a bit of pleasure, and discovering the womanly art of 'having my way with the world'. If that involves cupcakes and afternoons in with the entire box set of The Tudors, well I don't see how that can be a bad thing. Pleasing ourselves is something many women especially have been taught not to do - we are expected to be there for the kids, for men, for our bosses. But how can we do that if we're not there for ourselves too? So, get the book, get reading and get yourself some pleasure...