Recently, when the weather took a dip on the cold side, I put on a fleece sweatshirt I had not worn in quite a while. I slid my hand into one of the pockets and felt something inside. To my delight, I pulled out a wad of money.

It wasn’t a lot of money. It amounted to twelve dollars and ten cents, but I was really excited. I wasn’t excited because it was money, but because of what it represented. I’ve always felt that money found in the pocket is money that should be spent on a “treat.” If I didn’t miss it, then when I find it, it’s like bonus money. It should be spent on things like ice cream or a pedicure.

Twelve dollars is a decent amount of Ben and Jerry’s.

As I pondered what to do with my twelve dollars, it led me to thinking about the whole idea of “treating” oneself. I thought to myself, “How do people treat themselves?” in both senses of the word. How do you give yourself a present? And how do you behave towards yourself in general?

Do you give yourself presents? Not necessarily buying yourself something, a present could be anything. It could be permission to sit on the couch with your favorite blanket and rent a movie. It could be an afternoon at a museum you’ve been “meaning” to visit, or dinner with a good friend at a restaurant that’s a little more expensive than usual. What would you do with money found in your pocket?

How does this reflect on how you treat yourself in general? Would you buy ice cream and then beat yourself up for it afterwards, or would you eat it and enjoy it and move on. Would you call yourself lazy for spending the afternoon on the couch, or would you enjoy the relaxation you probably deserve. Would you obsess over the dinner bill, or would you relish the time with your good friend?

We find a lot of ways to label ourselves. I hear it every day – people call themselves all sorts of horrible things and fill their heads with negative thoughts about who they are. What good things do you say about yourself and how often do you do it? When do we acknowledge our skills, instead of our shortcomings? Celebrate our successes, instead of dwelling on our failures?

Or even more simply than that – when do you remind yourself that you’re attractive, smart or funny? Because, odds are, you’re all those things and a lot more.

Next time you find change in your pants pocket, or dollar bills in your rain jacket, ask yourself – how will I treat myself?