Today, as I was making breakfast, I discovered something important about life. It’s based on chocolate.
Cheat Day!
Weekends are my cheat days. Every day I make sure I get 5 servings of good fruits and vegetables. On weekdays, my meals consist mostly of that. On weekends, all bets are off! Although every day I stick to a vegan eating plan, that doesn’t mean on weekends that I can’t enjoy store-bought cupcakes, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, or even chocolate.
Often on weekends I like to cut up some chocolate and put it into my cereal. I take a part of a big chocolate bar, cut up some squares into pieces, and throw it in. But I don’t cut it all the same size. Some pieces of chocolate I cut and then cut again, and others I just leave in bigger chunks.
Simple Pleasures
Some people might prefer to keep it all uniform. They want the chocolate in similar-sized chunks so they always know what to expect. But consistency may not be the best route with rewards like chocolate.
When every bite is the same, where’s the reward? It may be nice thinking that life will always send us the same bits of joy, but if it’s all meted out evenly, where’s the excitement? That just becomes normal.
Instead, sometimes life just gives us the regular: a bite without chocolate. If we’ve done the right things and made the right choices, that can be a nice experience in and of itself. Then sometimes life hits us with a surprise of delight. These unexpected blessings can add a great deal of flavor to our lives. Finally, life can just overwhelm us with an extra big serving of excitement and joy. These are moments that last long after the experience has ended.
When life gives you opportunities to enjoy it as it comes, let yourself be free to enjoy whatever size joys it decides to throw at you. Consistency has it’s place in success, but letting life happen unfettered can bring delicious rewards.
