sa⋅vor  (SA’-ver) --v. From the Latin “sapere” – To taste; to appreciate; to enjoy; to relish distinctive characteristics.

From a practical point of view, many of us are going too fast and doing too many things at once to stop and enjoy any particular part of our day, hindering not only our happiness but also the productivity and quality in whatever we are doing. “Savoring” is a counterbalance to this, and we can plan for it at meals, in our jobs and with our families.

“Savoring requires a deliberate mindful awareness of the present moment and like any cognitive-behavioral skill we get better at it with practice.” Fred Bryant and Joseph Veroff, in their book,  Savoring:  A New Model of Positive Experience, speak of savoring as involving, “… a sense of immediacy, freedom from social and esteem needs, and …  a focused and mindful connection to the experience.”

Perhaps we should look more toward savoring as the process of paying attention to joy.

Bryant and Veroff suggest the following four ways of doing that:

1. Thanksgiving – expressing gratitude for blessings or favors
2. Marveling – being struck with awe to the point of losing a sense of time
3. Basking – receiving praise for a job well done and allowing ourselves to accept praise
4. Luxuriating – indulging in pleasurable physical sensations (Think of giving a hug or a high five.)

Those are experiences which can happen to you; they are activities you can plan for with some thoughtful time around your calendar.  Ask your spouse, friend, teammate, or kids, “What can we do to savor more of life?” Be a leader for your business team and encourage some new ways to say thank you and allow your team to bask, luxuriate, or even marvel – at least a little.