What immediately comes to mind when you say the word, bliss?

Daily | October 6th, 2008 by Danielle LaPorte

Divine and delectable word association.

Carrie says: Being outside in nature, slow breathing, new idea, traveling with my husband.

Danielle says: Solitude. Good laughs after great sex. And Ten Thousand Waves, the most divine Japanese hot tub spa on the side of a mountain in Santa Fe. The hot tubbing is best at night, when it’s snowing and the stars are out.

Viewing 61 Comments

Jody 10/06/2008 12:36 AM 1 point
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sunshine, warmth, a cool breeze, birds chirping softly and the sound of waves crashing on the beach.

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http://www.boutiquemoney.com.au

Krysta 10/06/2008 10:18 PM 1 point
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DITTO!!!!!

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caren 10/06/2008 12:36 AM 1 point
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Freedom, fun adventures, tantric connections, waking up and seeing trees, hearing the ocean at night, being touched
Cultivated Balance

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jennifersage 10/06/2008 01:01 AM 1 point
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that would be sitting on my favourite chair,breathing, looking at the Western Hills of the valley I live in. something I do most days. Just being in the moment and grateful

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Liana Gailand 10/06/2008 01:47 AM 1 point
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bliss feels like these things to me jamoca almond fudge icecream, javanese lurlur massage, lomi lomi massage, holding a newborn babe and the smell of the little bundle after all god is what babies smell like

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http://www.mydangerousbeauty.com

laurel 10/06/2008 02:02 AM 1 point
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Drifting back to sleep on a lazy morning with a warm, bunny-soft purring cat cuddled up right next to me.

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Tsh from Simple Mom 10/06/2008 03:19 AM 1 point
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Chocolate chip mint ice cream after the kids have gone to bed. Perfectly made coffee, early in the cool morning, on a porch, in an adirondack chair.

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http://simplemom.net/

pearl_mattenson 10/06/2008 03:46 AM 1 point
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YES- coffee on a cool morning on a porch- How did you know? I would add hearing sounds of nature and absolute stillness. I am thinking green mountains of vermont, or overlooking the ocean on the northern coast.

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Uncle Beefy 10/06/2008 08:02 AM 1 point
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Um...ditto! To all of it! Coffee? Ice cream? Porches? Adirondacks? Vermont? Oh yeah...sounds like serious bliss to me! :)

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Julia 10/06/2008 04:07 AM 1 point
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Lounging in a big bed, with beautiful white linens...fluffy pillows...enjoying the morning sunlight streaming into the room!

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Leah Graves 10/06/2008 07:51 AM 1 point
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Being somewhere out in nature alone. Perhaps in the woods after a recent snowstorm or sitting on my desk with a cup of tea admiring the fall foliage. Bliss=solitude for me.

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http://onesnap.gather.com

Joannie 10/06/2008 07:52 AM 1 point
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Being in the arms of my beloved. The smell and sound of rain falling outside my bedroom window. The fragrance of a Peony 'Festiva Maxima' in the Spring. Hot water falling over my head in a shower. The cooing of Mourning Doves early in the morning. The taste of blue Concord grapes in Autumn. Singing exquisite music in the choir. The sight of drifts of 80 varieties of Dahlias in my friend's front garden Seven of my friend's Dahlias in a vase on my dining room table.

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JoeM 10/06/2008 07:54 AM 1 point
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Laying on a warm sandy beach, on the Island of Eluthera in the Bahamas, with nice music on my iPod, an Amstel Light in my right hand, and listening to the waves break.

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Amy Guth 10/06/2008 07:59 AM 1 point
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Danielle, I once spend a few months in Santa Fe, and I lived so close to Ten Thousnad Waves and took full advantage of that fact. That was indeed, pretty blissy.

I'd add that having a great run in warm rain, or cool light breeze, or in freshly-fallen snow is pretty blissful, too.

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http://guthagogo.com

Uncle Beefy 10/06/2008 08:00 AM 1 point
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Perhaps it happens to be where I am in life but the first thing that came to mind was having my own business. The idea just sends me! But to add to that list would be art making, walking on the beach (think more Pacific NW than California) barefoot, napping outside in a hammock, or cooking for friends & family (probably baking)...oh and a great cup of coffee!

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urbanmedusa 10/06/2008 08:02 AM 1 point
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A lingering kiss with Virgil. McKenzie beach at night with a great glass of red in front of a roaring fire. Warm hugs from kids fresh out of bed in the morning. A marathon run under 3:20 after 8 months of hard work and a fantastic head of highlights from the one and only Candis H. of Salon C!

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Jess 10/06/2008 08:09 AM 1 point
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I think of outside as well. Walking.
Fall, apples, turkey, family, cozy,
Not waking up with a jolt because you have a super packed day but leisurely getting up.
Healthy and delicious salads.

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Ngonzi Truth Crushshon 10/06/2008 08:10 AM 1 point
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PEACE! SERENITY! LAUGHTER! FRIENDS! FAMILY!

BEING HAPPY & IN LOVE WITH GOD, MYSELF & OTHERS!

KNOWING THERE IS NOTHING THAT GOD CAN'T HANDLE!

FAITH THAT THERE IS A BRIGHTER DAY! HOPE THAT EVERYTHING WILL BE OK!

BLISS IS PLEASURE THAT COMES ONCE YOU HAVE PUT FORTH YOUR VERY BEST EFFORT TO LIVE, LAUGH & LOVE!

BLISS IS KNOWING YOU ARE RIGHT WITH THE WORLD...U HAVE NO ILL-WILL AGAINST OTHERS....AND YOU ARE AT PEACE WITH YOURSELF!

BLISS ALWAYS COMES AFTER TRIALS & AFTER YOU HAVE GONE THROUGH THE BAD TIMES.....YOU APPRECIATE THE RAINBOW AFTER THE STORM!

BLISS IS WHEN EVERYTHING IS RIGHT AND YOU FEEL IT IN YOUR SPIRIT!

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colette 10/06/2008 08:12 AM 1 point
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A day at Cloud 9 Spa and Retreat

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colette 10/06/2008 08:17 AM 1 point
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add to that the coffee on the porch thing. I have a large covered porch where I love to sit and watch the stars at night or the rise of the morning sun, or the pouring rain.

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Sophia 10/06/2008 08:25 AM 1 point
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That sounds dreamy....

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Sophia 10/06/2008 08:20 AM 1 point
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Being. Just being. However.

No doubts, no regrets, no wants - not even the want to prolong the moment.
Just being.

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Vanessa Rae 10/06/2008 08:31 AM 1 point
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A life out in the county, beneath the stars, beneath the trees, in our cabin, in our treehouse with a roof that looks above at the stars. Conversations and laughter with my husband and then great sex, that to me is bliss.

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Get Togetha 10/06/2008 08:38 AM 1 point
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Dancing.

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http://www.gettogethablog.com

Lorrie 10/06/2008 08:43 AM 1 point
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Two things come to mind first: my little granddaughter hugging me with such joy - and swimming naked in the warm water of our Mexico property. Sweet.

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stella 10/06/2008 08:51 AM 1 point
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Being on the beach on the Big Island of Hawaii with my man...ultimate bliss.

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Shelly 10/06/2008 09:11 AM 1 point
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That was my thought too...it doesn't have to be Hawaii but it includes beach, water, sunshine and my busband!

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Susie Hutchinson 10/06/2008 08:54 AM 1 point
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Sleeping in with kitties, hubby and baby.

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kerrymac 10/06/2008 08:55 AM 1 point
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Quiet family times outside. Hearing my kids playing and sweetly singing. Sleeping boys, snuggling boys. Being able to step back, take a breath and see beauty in everyday moments. Time alone to make art, take photos or cook. Massages, making love, tea and a book. The water, lakes, babbling brooks and the ocean in warm parts.
www.snickerdoodles.typepad.com

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Linda Borland-Fitzgerald 10/06/2008 09:07 AM 1 point
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C&D..

I've suddenly realized that I've made several references to being in the last third of my life. So, I will define my response to the question this way.

The first third was spent in 'survival' mode, enduring childhood abuse of every kind. The second third was learning how to be in a relationship, raising a family, working at a job to pay the bills - a different kind of 'survival.'

Now, here I am making my way towards the 'end' or the final third of my existence. It's a little scary but I'm also very excited about what's ahead. I'm out there finally, throwing caution to the wind, trying new things, trusting that what I need will flow into my life with each step I take towards my new life.

So, to answer the question, "What comes to my mind when I hear the word 'Bliss?" Financial freedom!!

I do have to have to pay attention to that and be pragmatic, making sure I have enough to make my life comfortable, so that I am free to explore that life.

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ellabobella 10/06/2008 09:07 AM 1 point
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Floating in warm turquoise water, facing a clear blue sky.

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jennifersage 10/06/2008 05:01 PM 1 point
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Mmmmmm! How well blissful

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Ginger_Laine 10/06/2008 09:28 AM 1 point
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* A significant, solid block of time to myself ... no demands made of me from any quarter.
* A completely new idea when first grasped.
* Seeing an old troublesome situation from a fresh perspective.
* Having an especially productive day at the office.
* A client telling me 'thank you'.
* Spending time at home with the windows open and music playing.
* Cooking a fresh meal.
* Coffee. Any time. Any place. But especially on the front porch in the early morning.
* Being in the presence of old trees.
* That certain slant of light Emily Dickinson wrote about.
* Reading.
* Writing.
* A clean house.
* Holding my daughter.

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Kirsty 10/06/2008 09:37 AM 1 point
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Bliss is hot stone massage therapy.

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Cynthia Rome 10/06/2008 10:08 AM 1 point
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My last blissful moment was with hazelnut chocolate mousse. After a couple of weeks of cruising in this incredible west coast wonder, I found bliss through my taste buds. It may have been that absence makes my tongue grow fonder or it may have been that my senses were enlivened having been deeply immersed in nature; I don’t know what brought on such bliss. With every spoonful my awareness of what it took to put this mousse in front of me expanded. It didn’t stop at the good cooks everywhere making magic with good ingredients it went to the processors, the traders, the harvesters, and the cultivators of those nuts, cocoa beans, and sugar I was eating. By the time I was scraping the bottom of the glass I could hardly speak, the moment had cracked open my consciousness to such deep gratitude.
Unfortunately it’s not as straight forward as where there is good chocolate there is love and where there is love there is bliss because other chocolate experiences haven’t opened up my bliss-meter like that one -wouldn’t that be great, just eat a bliss bar and be there. The recipe for bliss remains illusive but maybe, like good cooks everywhere, with the right ingredients we can make our own recipes.

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Sky 10/06/2008 10:13 AM 1 point
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Peace and quiet.

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Elena 10/06/2008 10:28 AM 1 point
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eyes closed, warm sun through my eyelids, beautiful colours all around me, quiet ambiance of other people living and laughing, knowing i've got the whole day and possibly longer to do whatever i please, being near my love, sisters and friends, the feeling of being delighted in, a new, fresh, bright day...

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Lisa M. 10/06/2008 10:53 AM 1 point
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Arbutus trees, ocean front, great friends, good wine, a fire, one guitar, and hysterically funny sing-along renditions of popular music. Waking sans hangover in fresh air with the shutters flung open, followed by an English fry-up.

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Daniel Gibbons 10/06/2008 11:06 AM 1 point
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A day in which I'm completely isolated from email and cellphone coverage.

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weezie 10/06/2008 11:10 AM 1 point
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Weather in the high 60's, low 70's, outside on a deck overlooking the mountains, on beach chairs by the ocean, on a terrace in Manhattan, or on my patio with a group of friends and/or loved ones, drinking wonderful libations (bloody marys, great wine, Amstel light, lemon-drop martinis), and having great conversation for hours on end.

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Traci 10/06/2008 11:25 AM 1 point
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The weather is in the high 60s and rhythmically rainy (but only if it's been sunny recently), the jeans aren't tight, the bills are paid and there's money left over, the dogs are super snuggly and quiet, the sexy husband is whipping up some grilled cheese with mozzarella and homemade red sauce, the book I'm reading is languidly beautiful, and I've recently had a hug and kiss from all my neices and my nephew.

Ugh...must...open...eyes...and...get...back...to...work.......

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EcoDiva 10/06/2008 11:36 AM 1 point
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Coconut oil, Warm breeze on a sunny beach, cool rain on a warm sunny day. Home with my friends sharing a warm meal we made together. The warm tingle of knowing that serendipity is happening right now, and there is not a single other place where I need to be but right here right now.

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Ava 10/06/2008 12:04 PM 1 point
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Sunsets. The wind that comes before a big storm. Waking up slowly in a cozy bed when it's cold out. Alone time in the woods. The feeling after spending a burst of creative productivity, when there's so much to show and the making was so much fun. "Good morning" kisses. Long hot baths. Playing in the ocean.

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http://griffynsnest.etsy.com

Suzyn 10/06/2008 12:53 PM 1 point
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Joseph Campbell on a grainy VHS tape in my high school art teacher's room, telling us to "Follow your bliss..." and the years of head-banging-against-brick-wall angst that set off as I tried and tried to figure it out. Still working on it. I think I heard "Pick a single bliss and make a living doing it." instead of simply "follow..."

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Katie Kay 10/06/2008 01:02 PM 1 point
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A really great day at the Spa. Estrella in Palm Springs, CA at The Viceroy hotel is one of my favorites. I feel like a million bucks when I leave there.

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http://www.katiekay.com

sarahsalway 10/06/2008 01:10 PM 1 point
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A day with my family, sunshine, picnics on grass, dancing, listening to live music, a beautiful art gallery, light, scented candles, a long bath, time to write

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leanne 10/06/2008 02:34 PM 1 point
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Sailing. Anywhere. Anytime. Any body of water.

Ideally, I'm am sailing...on a small but capable sailboat, with no noisy motors...only the trade winds to speed me along. I'm in the West Indies, in the waters just off Antigua and Barbuda; I can see their white and pink beaches wrapping along their coastlines. There is a cooler full of ice cold Ting nearby. Sunshine and sea are all around me; the sea is a shade of blue that is like no other. There are no sounds but the wind in the sails, the birds overhead, the waves, and the soundtrack of reggae that plays through my head.

I feel happy. I feel healed. This is my bliss.

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Ellen 10/06/2008 04:04 PM 1 point
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I'm with you, D....nothing better than sitting in a hot tub under the evergreens with snow all around at 10,000 Waves.

However, Bliss to me is the Spiritual Orgasm when connecting with the eternal beloved...Abraham Maslow referred to them as Peak Moments.

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jennifersage 10/06/2008 05:07 PM 1 point
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Maslow: one of my teenage idols at a time when I knew I wanted what he wrote about but was so far from it.
Thanks for the reminder. Lifetime journey it takes

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Cobby 10/06/2008 04:42 PM 1 point
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Hot Yoga Class at night with the lights off and candles lit around the room to a soundtrack of chanting with a thunderstorm raging outside. I've been lucky enough to have that experience a couple of times and it was lovely.

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Zen Lill 10/06/2008 05:17 PM 1 point
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Great mutually satisfying and connected sex and solitude - seems we share a few similar things Danielle : ) another blissful thing is greenery for me, seems the colors of nature make my eyes rods and cones just jump for joy. Not that I feel the need to post a picture here right now but how do these women do that? Thanks for your daily q's, I don't always have time to read more than the question or just both of your answers but it always makes me think, and I love that daily challenge, so again, thanks from the bottom of my Zen heart.

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http://www.lilliandevin.com

Brenda 10/06/2008 05:49 PM 1 point
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uninterrupted sleep, sleepin in, a day filled with no clocks, watches. Just enjoying quiet peaceful moments on the beach, smelling the air and feeling the warm sand between my toes. Reading a good book too.

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Jenn 10/06/2008 06:14 PM 1 point
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Reading in bed on a cold night, hitting the home made sauna at Mike's mountain house in the nude, driving my little 5 speed volvo on some wicked winding roads, the unexpectedly cohesive outfit, waking up find that my dreads have decided to cooperate today, the stroke of inspiration, a clean house and last but not least, the morning cigg.

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Danette 10/06/2008 07:18 PM 1 point
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All things that rock the senses so beautifully that it knocks you into the moment.

Pure sensation.

Awareness of nothing but pleasure.

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Virginia 10/06/2008 08:32 PM 1 point
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Bliss...camping unnder the stars...a campfire...unaccounted for time...no schedules...fresh air...big skies...big,dark skies...no schedule,...that is part of bliss...

"Ginn"
In Sunny Santa Fe
www.pulverpages.com

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http://www.pulverpages.com

Alison 10/06/2008 11:08 PM 1 point
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No visions, just yearning. And a tiny bit of peace.

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Karen 10/07/2008 01:17 AM 1 point
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sitting in the path of the morning sunrise as the heat begins to melt the soft dusting of frost. Of course this bliss is best felt from under a blanket sitting on the patio with a steaming cup of coffee

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Kelly 10/07/2008 06:24 AM 1 point
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Viewing and smelling the Pacific Ocean. Eating fresh tomatoes in Tuscany.

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GInger 10/07/2008 12:30 PM 1 point
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swimming in the ocean...floating over high swells, diving through waves...warm sun, saltwater....the feeling of weightlessness both physical and emotional....nice to follow with a campfire and some s'mores

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Isabelle Vonturi 10/07/2008 12:52 PM 1 point
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cheering on my darling son fencing! (swordplay)seeing his bright quickness, his intuitive strategy, his fabulous dark eyes like mine, these are my moments of true bliss when no other feeling or the past or the future exists, only this perfect moment of love.
Sophisticated Lustrous

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Theresa Lenardon 10/15/2008 01:43 PM 1 point
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Being at home on a rainy or snowy Sunday afternoon with a good book, a cup of tea and my family members milling about in their favourite rooms of our home.
A walk in the park, or on our favourite trails on a sunny Fall afternoon (my favourtie season) ; the colours and smells are spectacular.
Relaxing in a hot bubble bath, with a glass of red vino, usually scented candles; mostly during the winter, especially on a snowy evening or after some intense form of outdoor exercise.
These blissful moments are usually when I feel most relaxed and at peace/content with myself, my life and my relationships, help me get inspired and provide me time for self-reflection.

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Daily

What immediately comes to mind when you say the word, bliss?

Divine and delectable word association.

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