When I go to the library to study or write a paper, the scenario is generally the same. I sit at the same desk near the window, with a steaming cup of coffee (black) in my ceramic to-go mug, and a piece of Dove dark chocolate. I extract my treat from its foil, place the smooth square on my tongue, and commit the same fatal flaw: I bite. Disappointed once again my indelicacy, my chronic sense of urgency, I read the inspirational message printed within the Dove wrapper: Let yourself melt in life's goodness.
When you pop a piece of chocolate in your mouth, do you let it melt slowly or just bite down instantly? Do you try to preserve and savor the taste for as long as possible, allowing the silky center to blanket your tongue, sending dopamine levels spinning out of control –or do you cut the sensation short by chewing? I always bite.
Sometimes I feel like my life is a piece of chocolate, potentially sweet and satisfying, but short-circuited by my tendencies to rush through life’s sweetest moments. While it may seem that I am maximizing my time, (eat chocolate faster, get to next task sooner), I am treating my chocolate like another check off the “To Do” list instead of allowing it to serve its self-sacrificing purpose. As a result, I am left with only half the sensation and am chronically disappointed.
It is important to allow life to progress naturally, just as it is important to let a piece of chocolate melt and reach it’s full potential of deliciousness. It is amazing how easy it is to get caught up in the more hectic aspects of the daily grind: rushing from work, to class, to internships, blowing through my twenties and crashing headfirst into adulthood. As I get older, I am realizing how necessary it is to take time for the little things, for myself. I am learning to pause and step back, to revel in my youth, to balance my workload and permit indulgences, to unwrap my chocolate slowly. I am willing to let myself melt in life’s goodness.
When you pop a piece of chocolate in your mouth, do you let it melt slowly or just bite down instantly? Do you try to preserve and savor the taste for as long as possible, allowing the silky center to blanket your tongue, sending dopamine levels spinning out of control –or do you cut the sensation short by chewing? I always bite.
Sometimes I feel like my life is a piece of chocolate, potentially sweet and satisfying, but short-circuited by my tendencies to rush through life’s sweetest moments. While it may seem that I am maximizing my time, (eat chocolate faster, get to next task sooner), I am treating my chocolate like another check off the “To Do” list instead of allowing it to serve its self-sacrificing purpose. As a result, I am left with only half the sensation and am chronically disappointed.
It is important to allow life to progress naturally, just as it is important to let a piece of chocolate melt and reach it’s full potential of deliciousness. It is amazing how easy it is to get caught up in the more hectic aspects of the daily grind: rushing from work, to class, to internships, blowing through my twenties and crashing headfirst into adulthood. As I get older, I am realizing how necessary it is to take time for the little things, for myself. I am learning to pause and step back, to revel in my youth, to balance my workload and permit indulgences, to unwrap my chocolate slowly. I am willing to let myself melt in life’s goodness.
No comments:
Post a Comment