![]() |
Happiness Information |
|
|
Ode to Chocolate
Chocolate delays reality. When I am eating chocolate, everything is on hold: anxiety, panic, frustrations, and insecurity. Chocolate offers a profound richness, a sweetness of life, a euphoric sensation of luxury. I love chocolate in many forms, from M&M's, to imported Lindt balls, to dark fudge frosting in a pop-top can, to Hershey's dark chocolate bite-sized morsels. It is difficult to eat only a little chocolate. I cheat myself when I chew it up quickly and swallow it like other food. To eat chocolate correctly, one must let it melt in the mouth with eyes closed, feeling the tasty, thick smooth velvet coat the tongue. It is also difficult to eat really good chocolate silently. I usually purr a long ummmmmmm of feminine satisfaction when enjoying such a pleasure. I have strategies to keep from eating chocolate. I meditate after lunch, enjoying the sweetness of life without calories, I brush my teeth after drinking my afternoon coffee, and I give chocolate away to my mother so that it's not in the house. But it comes back as gifts from other sources, knowing that it is loved and cherished in my presence. My daughter loves chocolate, too. A hereditary trait, I guess. Sometimes my mother and my daughter and I enjoy chocolate together, a female bonding of sensuous gratification. We give each other gifts of Easter Bunnies, Christmas balls, and Valentine confections, then share our blessed bounty with each other. We hide it from other family members, and never apologize for succumbing to such greedy decadence. We have trained the men in our lives to buy it for us as well by expressing our enjoyment and satisfaction as lip-smacking, vocalized bliss. It's as if we permit our chocolate gift givers to be voyeurs of our pleasure. I have a girl friend who refers to chocolate as the fourth basic food group. She eats it publicly, in front of people, instead of holding private chocolate sessions where no one can count bites or pieces. Self-righteous jailers they are, those indignant souls who reprimand us. Sometimes it is us, ourselves, our split personalities loving and hating our obsession. My sister-in-law denies her children from chocolates' evil influence, but yields personally to its entrapment. Chocolate calls her name, beckoning her in a trance- like state to follow its' seductive aroma to the kitchen. I know that aroma well, it cannot be contained in a cardboard box, a foil wrapper, or an insulated refrigerator. Sometimes I eat chocolate to wake me up, or to keep on working when I want to stop and take a nap. Much preferred to a carrot on a stick. A self-imposed bribe to keep pushing. Of course, this bribe has negative consequences when my jeans don't fasten. I suppose the alligator here is the addiction. But addiction to what? Chocolate? Or pushing to achieve? What a shame that my time is spent in activities that don't burn calories. Striving, planning, dreaming, persisting, setting boundaries, checking off chores, reviewing goals, paying bills. I refuse to give up chocolate. I know women who have. Women committed to thin. I'm committed to enjoying my life. I have accepted other limitations, and I refuse other desserts, bread, and wine during the week. But chocolate has its place. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ana Tampanna, "The Alligator Queen," is author or the "The Womanly Art of Alligator Wrestling." To learn more about her books in addition to her speaking and coaching services, visit her site at http://www.alligatorqueen.com. NOTE You're welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end), Please a send a copy of your reprint to ana@alligatorqueen.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
RELATED ARTICLES
Acts of Kindness Benefit Everyone Do you really want to be happy? Everyone says yes, but the gateway to happiness makes some of us frown. The gateway to happiness, is giving to others. Getting In Touch With Your Inner Feelings Every disease or ailment, whether it be cancer, diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure or something else, has a series of warning signs. In ever case, when we experience an abnormality, we tend to move quickly to do something to get back to normal. Believing is the Absence of Doubt You've heard the expression, "Just believe it and it will come." Well, technically, that is true, however, 'believing' is not just thinking that you can have it; it is also feeling that it is possible. Discover the 10 Golden Rules on How To Conquer Your Fear We all want happiness and peace of mind. In the search for these blessings, millions of people take "happy pills" which they hope will relieve their tensions and make them feel more cheerful. 5 Fabulous B's for the Happiest You! Sure it sounds easy? "Be happy." Let's face it there is a little art and a lot of personal measures you can take to reveal true and lasting happiness. The Gift is in the Giving I have to be honest. I made the woman cashier at BIG! LOTS cry. Have You Ever Tasted The Fruit Of Pure Happiness? Have you ever been really happy? Have you ever tasted the fruit of pure happiness? Have you ever completed a task with that feeling of YES! I gave it my all. I'm really happy and proud with what I've done. Helping Happiness Along Happiness is worth helping along.The benefits of being a happy person are huge. Are You Doing What You Love Each And Every Day? It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day stress of everyday life: deadlines to meet, schedules to keep, unexpected expenses, conflicts to resolve, illness of loved ones, to name a few. Amidst all this, it is easy to for me to lose sight of why I do what I do - my purpose for being. Divining Your Life Path Number The Life Path is determined by the sum that is arrived at after reducing your birth date by adding digits together. This number represents the traits and talents that you were born with and the probable journey you will take during your lifetime. Choose To Be Happy What if I told you that you have the ability to decide if you are happy or not. You would probably say that I'm crazy. How to Be Happy! How would you like to have at least an extra hour in your day just for yourself so that you can have more fun?Well you can you know, you just have to do the following consistently and you'll free up your time so that you can enjoy more of your life.Look After Yourself FirstExercise regularly and eat healthily. In Pursuit of Happiness In pursuit of happiness, what will we do as women? Whatever we possibly can. We want to do things for ourselves, but always put others before us. Three Inspirations for Happiness The following three inspirations were adapted from A Daily Dose of Happiness, and they represent three key ways to increase our happiness.1. The Happiness of Others Is there any necessary connection between our actions and the happiness of others? Disregarding for a moment the murkiness of the definitions of "actions" in philosophical literature - two types of answers were hitherto provided.Sentient Beings (referred to, in this essay, as "Humans" or "persons") seem either to limit each other - or to enhance each other's actions. 5 Keys to Understanding Why Your Life (probably) Sucks! #2 In Key Reason #1 we looked at how you are working with outdated beliefs. Reason # 2 gives a clue as to why that might be so. 10 Ways to Bring Meaning to Your Life My life always appears to be so hectic. It's as if I purposely overload myself with more things than I could possibly ever accomplish. A Model of Happiness Everyone I've ever met considers happiness to be desirable. There is a whole wing of psychology called "positive psychology" studying things like happiness. Give a Hug for Happiness Hugs have a long and honorable tradition, going back to the day the caveman first squeezed his wife and discovered that no ketchup squeezed out. Since then, he found that his wife makes an awesome teddy bear, and he can always squeeze a rhinoceros when he wants ketchup for his hotdog (which gave him the necessary motivation to go hunting when his wife asked him to). Live Happily Ever After! So many people overwork themselves literary in the quest for happiness. Many claim that they will truly be happy when they become famous, earn a degree, become rich etc? However, what happens when the desire goal is attain? Nothing! They get excited for a second or two and go back to living miserably until, something good happens again and who knows how long that will take. |
| Article List | Index | Site Map |
|
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved. |