Basking is Best
I have a confession to make.
I love chocolate. Anyone familiar with me in person is probably aware of the fact. I’ve been known to walk out on conference sessions, meetings, work sessions, you name it, in search of the nectar of the gods. When I have foolishly depleted my own stash, I’ve left my classroom (NOT when I had students there) to seek relief from the stores of other dark chocolate aficionados down the hall.
Once, I insisted that my husband accompany me on a two-mile hike from a vacation rental to the nearest place we could find dark chocolate.
To say I have a habit of imbibing in dark chocolate for my mid-afternoon pick-me-up is putting it mildly. Some might even say I’m addicted. Others might ask what the big deal is. It’s not like I shoot chocolate intravenously.
Besides, I’ve learned a valuable lesson from my love for chocolate.
I’ve learned how to savor. Meaning that one Dove Dark chocolate Promise is good enough for most afternoons. Granted, there are days when I pop three or four, but mostly one is enough, if I take my time and truly enjoy it.
My method can change your life.
This is how you do it:
1. Stop all other activity and focus on the moment.
2. Before you unwrap it, hold the morsel close to your nose to get the first faint whiff of chocolate as anticipation builds.
3. Then, ever so slowly, lift the corners of the foil wrapper and inhale the aroma as deeply as you can. Hold the breath for as long as you can. Take another whiff, if you want. Anticipation rocks.
4. If you want, you can take a small nibble from the square. I prefer to put the whole thing in my mouth at once.
5. Do it. Lay the candy on your tongue and feel the creamy richness. Slowly, ever so slowly, suck the chocolate until it melts, totally immersing yourself in the wonder. Do not chew it.
6. When you’ve extracted every last bit of goodness, while the flavor still lingers on your tongue, take one last whiff of the wrapper to last you until tomorrow.
I’ve been reading more self-help books, listening to motivational podcasts and doing my best to learn how to rock this new chapter in my life. So many of them emphasize gratitude, or being totally in the moment. It’s not a new concept—admonitions to practice thankfulness have been written for at least a couple thousand years, and encouraged in many faiths and philosophies.
I came across the idea of savoring in an episode of Mel Robbins’ Start Here. I think she’s onto something there. The idea of savoring goes beyond the concept of gratitude. It’s more than just listing our blessings in a journal. It’s more than grabbing the chocolate from the bag, and popping it in our mouths while we stare at a screen, scrolling for the next blurb, or responding to the person on the other end of our cell phone.
There is no logical way we can expect a flippant, nonchalant practice like that to offer the same level of ecstasy that a full-on method for savoring can produce.
Have you heard about the positive effects a 20-second hug can produce in the human body? Google it. Over 25 million hits. Once when we were reunited after a long period of not seeing each other, my cousin warned me, “If you hug me any longer, I’m just going to break down and bawl.”
The 20-second effect. Profound.
Twenty seconds. Is that too much to ask? Personally, I believe that my chocolate is worth more than twenty seconds. It takes me about two minutes, but that might seem like a long time for a novice.
Why don’t you try it? Find something worth basking in for twenty seconds.
I know it might seem hard to believe that there are other things a person can enjoy as much as chocolate, so let me name a few:
The smell of lilacs in the spring.
The way a newborn feels when you cuddle him on your shoulder.
The solid whack of a baseball bat on a well-placed pitch.
A morning walk after the rain.
The satisfaction of a well-written ending to a novel that leaves you smiling through your tears.
The sweetness of a baby’s breath.
The feel of your father’s hand clasping your shoulder.
Listening to your daughter tell you about her day.
The sparkle of sunlight on water.
Laughing with your friends.
Building something with your hands.
Yeah, I know. You can probably think of lots more.
The problem is not that there aren’t a gazillion blessings out there. It’s recognizing the richness of each one. And then being willing to take the time to bask in it, drawing every single whiff of goodness from it. And then—and this might be the most important part—living life in anticipation of the goodness it holds, as well as appreciation.
Go ahead. Start opening the wrapper.
And then tell me what you found.
