What is your pleasure plan?
A few years ago when I was studying the concept of pleasure, I decided to make a Pleasure Plan. Basically I listed the behaviors and environments almost guaranteed to bring me parts of pleasure I craved. Joy, peace, excitement…you get the idea. Here are some examples: I have a spot where I drink coffee in the morning - brings me peace. Finding blue sky through the trees instantly brings me presence. And listening to the heaviest, hardest songs during my run creates a version of energy missing in every other element of my life. I took this photo this morning, and despite my grin, I was 5 miles into a 7 mile run and not loving life. So I tuned into my “heavy” workout playlist. We are talking bodies hitting the floor, off to Neverland, and thunderstruck type of heavy. Other times I go for DMX, Megan Thee Stallion and Missy Elliot. I'm a typically laid back, go with the flow type of gal…but rounding the corner of those last miles, I am a ragey, angry, go against the grain type of gal. It's a part of me I adore, but would probably scare my family. lol! But I place this behavior on my Pleasure Plan because it reminds me: pleasure is found in the nooks and crevices. You often have to search for it to find it.
I'd love for you to consider making yourself a Pleasure Plan. (This is some of the work we do in Pleasure Club - see below.). Pleasure takes work and intention, in and outside of the bedroom, and you are worthy of that work. And please, let me know what is on your Plan! I'd love to hear!
Don't think pleasure is important right now? Think again!
Pursuing pleasure can play a vital role in sustaining energy, hope, and resilience in social justice work, which is often emotionally and physically demanding. Here's how pleasure can support and strengthen a commitment to justice:
1. Building Resilience: Social justice work can lead to burnout, compassion fatigue, and even despair, especially when change seems slow. Engaging in pleasurable activities rejuvenates the spirit, building resilience and fortifying the energy needed to continue working for justice.
2. Creating Joyful, Sustainable Movements: Justice work grounded in pleasure is more sustainable over the long term. Many movements thrive when people find joy in community, connection, and shared activities that are energizing and affirming. Celebrating small wins, savoring collective achievements, and enjoying moments of connection can help activists stay motivated and engaged.
3. Reclaiming Humanity and Worth: Marginalized communities have often been deprived of joy and pleasure due to oppression. By embracing pleasure as a radical act, people assert their worth, their right to happiness, and their full humanity. It's a way of saying, “I am worthy of joy, beauty, and rest,” which directly counters the dehumanization that oppression often brings.
4. Modeling a Vision of a Just World: Social justice isn't just about dismantling harm; it's about building a world where everyone can experience peace, joy, and well-being. Pursuing pleasure models the kind of world we want to create—a world that includes not only safety and equity but also vibrancy, laughter, and fulfillment.
5. Strengthening Relationships and Solidarity: Pleasure can foster deep connections between people, and these connections are the backbone of solidarity. When people come together to share joy and pleasure, they build trust, mutual care, and empathy, which strengthens the foundation for collective action and support.
Incorporating pleasure into justice work doesn't mean ignoring the struggles—it's about nourishing ourselves and each other so we can keep pushing forward, energized and inspired to create the world we envision. Pleasure is a powerful tool for imagining and embodying a future where justice and joy coexist.
