CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- You never know where life lessons are going to come from. The other morning I was recovering from a virtual all-nighter I'd pulled working on a paper for my graduate class. (It had sure been a long time since I'd done that!)

Anyway, I made up the sleep deficit by getting in nine hours the next night (yum), and then the most amazing thing happened. I had such clarity the next morning, and I found myself opening to my heart space.

I even coined a new term for my female -- and male -- readers. Actually, it's just a new definition for an existing term. As I found myself taking in everything more fully, and being gentle with myself, I realized I was in PMS -- present moment sanctuary.

And it lasted much longer than usual. Over the years, I've come to realize that you can't "do" present-moment living; it's a state of consciousness in which you have to "be." And the harder you try, the more you defeat the purpose. (Not such good news for Type A personalities.)

While in the PMS mode, I was much more open to the fullness of what I experienced around me. I realized I gained my greatest insight from a movie I watched that day (not that I didn't learn a lot from the paper, Dr. Burton!).

The lesson in the movie came from a story the main character, Tess, told about an incident in her childhood. She had broken a favorite dish of her mother's and was scared of what her mother's reaction would be. So she tried to cover up the problem by throwing the dish in the trash.

When her mother asked her about the dish, she said she didn't know anything about it. And then Tess said her mother proceeded to teach her one of the greatest lessons she'd ever learned.

Her mother told Tess that she trusted her and then relayed a ritual she went through every night when she laid her head on her pillow. "Before I close my eyes," she said, "I go back over my day. I'm content with where I've been, and I'm proud of who I am."

Yikes! Can't you just imagine how "busted" that little girl must have felt? That simple, yet profound, sentence really made an impact on me: "I'm content with where I've been, and I'm proud of who I am."

In addition to being the perfect prescription for a good night's sleep, just imagine the peace and serenity you'd feel if you could say that to yourself every night -- and mean it.

I think I'll try it on for size. It seems to me it could provide a validation for living my life in an authentic way -- or give me an opportunity to make amends if there's something that doesn't feel quite right.

A friend of mine who is a real animal lover once told me we need to give ourselves "treats" just like we give our pets. I think this is such an interesting concept. My husband, John, and I think nothing of giving our dog, Chloe, multiple treats a day. The same goes for Ginger, Sammy, Obie and Polar Bear (the neighborhood menagerie that stops by occasionally for handouts -- more than occasionally for Ginger -- good girl!).

So, it crossed my mind that I needed to heed my friend's advice and give myself "treats" from time to time. I'm talking about small indulgences, nothing extravagant, and it's fun to think of the experience this way -- even saying the word "treat" internally in an enthusiastic tone like I use with the dogs. Have some fun with this if it strikes a chord with you. You may be amazed how your soul will respond when you treat it gently and playfully.

I was on the receiving end of some wonderful treats the other night when my writers group threw a cookout in my honor on Cindy's beautiful deck. They had each taken the time to compose a little ditty to share with me about my contributions to the group. And I treasure these just as much as the beautiful gifts that came later.

Color was out in force at the party since the writers know how much I love vibrant colors. I also found how much these resonate with Max, a pug who is absolutely thrilled by bright colors and proceeds to do his "happy dance" whenever they come his way. Who knew?

See, that's the thing. Treats -- whether we give them to others or to ourselves -- only take a small amount of time and effort. And talk about a return on investment! They pay huge dividends in terms of rejuvenation.

I used to think I needed to set aside big chunks of time to "restoreth my soul." Like taking a day off work. Or setting aside a weekend for a retreat or taking a vacation. I now find, though, that a few minutes of the right kind of "soul food" can do the trick.

If the spirit moves you, share some of your treats -- and soulful rejuvenation recipes -- with me. We all learn from each other -- and we may even find that PMS can occur more than once a month!

Linda Arnold, MBA, is a certified wellness instructor and chairwoman/CEO of The Arnold Agency, an advertising, public-relations and government-relations firm. Reader inquires may be directed to Linda Arnold, The Arnold Agency, 117 Summers St., Charleston, WV 25301, or e-mailed to livinglifefu...@arnoldagency.com.