[Cause]

I often think about the little pleasures in my life that I really enjoy, the ones I miss because I no longer have easy access to, or the things in my life that punch above their weight in terms of how much I use and benefit from them. I thought I would share mine and am curious what are yours.

Sunbeams:
I am like a dog or a cat in this regard. Back in South Africa I had a floor to ceiling sliding glass door and I would open it all the way, a sunbeam would fall across the corner of my bed and the floor and despite it being a less comfortable spot to sit I loved sitting in the beam and enjoying the heat of the sun on my skin as I read a book or sat with my dogs. This little pleasure is mostly absent in the USA with the need for better insulation and smaller windows in my apartments and the shorter summer months. Nevertheless my apartment has a smool pool deck and for four months of the eyar its perfect for sunbathign and reading.

Hot Baths / Jacuzzis / Hot Springs:
I love heat. This is a common thread for me. My parents used to scream at me for lying to close to heaters thinking id hurt myself. When I discovered putting a kindle in a ziplock bag and reading in a hot bath I became obsessed. I miss having a bathtub for this reason. A proper jacuzzi with heat that doesnt fade and with some nice soothing bubbles is next level. Rarer experience than I would like these days but sometimes I get lucky at a hotel.

Dogs:
Dogs are like 50% of my personality. I have never met a dog I dint like. Just seeing one in an elevator, on the street, or in a cute instagram clip can improve my mood. Getting to actually play with one...

Wireless Earbuds:
I don't mean this to be an advert for products but this little gadget has changed my life. I am not a big music guy (never have been for some reason), not a big adiobook guy. But since I got my first pair of airpods in 2018, the ease of carry and ease of use means I am seldom without them. Perfect for music on a walk, youtube on the train, entertainment in the doctors office etc. Now with noise cancelling its perfect for how much I travel. Cant imagine sitting in a plane now without these to lessen the noise of the engine. Also makes talking on the phone less painful as I don't need to hold my hpone up to my ear. I use this every day.

A good scented shampoo or soap:
I slept on this my whole life. Soap is soap. Give me a good 15 in 1 bachelor soap for 1.99 from costco. I dont care. Or thats what I thought. I realized that everynow and then I would go to a haircut that used some amazing smelling shampoo, or stay at a hotel for work with some amazing smelling bodywash and I realized it improved my mood. I dont want to smell like the soap. But a strong scent of Teatree oil at a hairdresser or a strong scent of lemon in the shower in the morning seems to lift my mood and waken me up just that little extra kit. So now I use one at one.

A good scenic view:
I never really knew this about my home town JHB. Its the largest city in the world not next to a major river, coastline or mountain. Its just a gold rush mining town a giant flat platue. The city is also wide not tall. I love a view of the ocean or any large body of water, I find it peaceful. I love a view of mountains it fills me with awe. I love a view from a 40th story window of a giant city below me, it inspires me with waht humankind has/can build. Some cities are just blessed more than others in this regard. The grand canyon, niagra falls etc are lovely but when it comes to little pleasures I mean more just sitting at a restaurant or on a homes balcony looking at the lapping waves.

This post has been edited by Cause: 21 January 2026 - 06:54 PM

[Macros]

Massive double up on a lot of this.

Dogs, Ive always loved dogs, the best quick mood enhancer in the world outside of drugs surely has to be the sight of a dog with his head out a car window loving life.

Apricity

A scenic view, a seat with the view.

Listening to Music

Woodworking/making stuff

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Also dogs - I grew up with a family dog and have always loved them, but we're not at a place in life at the moment where it's realistic to have one. I am meeting a friend's new border collie puppy on Saturday for the first time and I am beyond excited.

Scenic view - part of why I love getting out walking. Beautiful countryside is soothing in a way almost nothing else is.

[champ]

Looking at the stars, especially in a dark skies area, I just find beauty and wonder in it. It puts a lot of things into perspective too and gets me thinking about life / the universe etc.

Hot showers... showers are my happy place. Nothing better than closing your eyes, sticking your head under a hot shower and turning your brain off for however long, helps with a total mental reset.

Hiking for the views, especially in quiet areas, I love that feeling where I could potentially be the only person for miles around.

I am just a big fan of peace and quiet.

[Tiste Simeon]

Photography - not necessarily trading pictures, though I do have a fairly decent DSLR and a couple of lenses so you can say I dabble... But I like looking at good, well taken pictures. Predominantly I love landscapes, bonus points if there's water (I love rivers and waterfalls) but also sunsets/sunrises.

There's something in them that speaks to my soul.

And yes I know that actually going and seeing these things myself is better, and I'm blessed to live in a beautiful part of the world so I can and frequently do get it first hand. But I can't go everywhere so I appreciate someone who knows how to capture a stunning picture.

[Abyss]

Cause, on 21 January 2026 - 06:53 PM, said:

...
Wireless Earbuds:
I don't mean this to be an advert for products but this little gadget has changed my life. I am not a big music guy (never have been for some reason), not a big adiobook guy. But since I got my first pair of airpods in 2018, the ease of carry and ease of use means I am seldom without them. Perfect for music on a walk, youtube on the train, entertainment in the doctors office etc. Now with noise cancelling its perfect for how much I travel. Cant imagine sitting in a plane now without these to lessen the noise of the engine. Also makes talking on the phone less painful as I don't need to hold my hpone up to my ear. I use this every day.
...

Somewhere around 2015 or so i ht a life stage where i had way less time to sit and (stay awake and) read. Wired headphones were ok, but when i made the switch to buds... game changer. To the extent that i am almost never without my phone, i am never without buds. Commute, drive, gym, dishes, laundry, groceries, solo eating... i am listening to tunes or an earbook. Always.

I cycled through a few brands before falling in like w Jabra, specifically the 'elite active' line. So naturally they stopped making them and now i trawl my local fb marketplace grabbing them whenever someone posts a set for sale.

[Cause]

champ, on 22 January 2026 - 12:04 PM, said:

Looking at the stars, especially in a dark skies area, I just find beauty and wonder in it. It puts a lot of things into perspective too and gets me thinking about life / the universe etc.

Seeing the stars fills me with wonder but its become so rare for me. I have not seen the milky way since I was at the grand canyon. That was two years ago. Light pollution has robbed us of this. No wonder the ancients stared at the heavens and created constellations, invented gods and built temples to chart the heaven.

Sadly too rare for me to consider it a little pleasure. I actually remember when I was a young boy not understanding that light hid the stars and staring up at the few stars I could see and just not understanding why my sky was so boring.

This post has been edited by Cause: 22 January 2026 - 05:09 PM

[Tiste Simeon]

Cause, on 22 January 2026 - 05:07 PM, said:

champ, on 22 January 2026 - 12:04 PM, said:

Looking at the stars, especially in a dark skies area, I just find beauty and wonder in it. It puts a lot of things into perspective too and gets me thinking about life / the universe etc.

Seeing the stars fills me with wonder but its become so rare for me. I have not seen the milky way since I was at the grand canyon. That was two years ago. Light pollution has robbed us of this. No wonder the ancients stared at the heavens and created constellations, invented gods and built temples to chart the heaven.

Sadly too rare for me to consider it a little pleasure. I actually remember when I was a young boy not understanding that light hid the stars and staring up at the few stars I could see and just not understanding why my sky was so boring.

Come visit me in the Isle of Man we have a bunch of dark sky sites! I've seen a few shooting stars while sat on the special benches they built for it.

[amphibian]

I'll work on getting to the Isle of Man to meet the Man! This is likely a 2027 plan due to travel obligations, weddings, and work.

Walking to a great bakery for a snack or a lunch is phenomenal. I don't get to do it as often as I did before, but I make room for it wherever I go and try to learn how to make lesser versions of things.

I fell out of regular gym time for jiu jitsu back in the early days of COVID and I plan to springboard back in eventually with some long boarding and weightlifting this spring and summer. Simply paddling my way up and down the hilly street will improve my endurance and get me back into motion, falling safely, and problem solving at speed.

My dog has been a genuine source of joy for my entire extended family. He's a medium sized Aussie cattle dog (that doesn't have insane energy) and is a very good house mate. All of us greet each other with greater warmth, build in more stable routines, and relax more when he's around (I'm occasionally traveling with my partner due to obligations, so the dog gets to go on staycations a bit).

A great iron for work clothes or fancy clothes (our household has Rowenta for both) is a genuine joy to use and puts me at ease doing the task of getting ready before a big event. It's meditation through motion for me and helps me think about what I want to achieve, what's the best way to go about things, and does actually help me plan the timings of getting ready better.

This is also a minor thing, but get a spootle for cooking. They're flat edge wooden spoons that still have a small bowl in the middle and are often tilted for an easier angle. It's a genuine joy to be able to use one kitchen thing to lightly scrape, flip, and spoon when cooking.