Sugar. It’s oh-so delectable, decadent, delicious and divine. It soothes us when we’re sad; it energizes us when we need a boost; it distracts us when we’re feeling overwhelmed. It is there for us no matter what - morning or night, rain or shine, at parties or at home. Sugar is super seductive...and scintillating...and satisfying (in the short-term, at least). Sugar loves us up and down and all around. Not to mention, it’s predictable and reliable.
Because sugar is such a dependable companion, we tend to rely on it more and more over time. Eventually, sugar may even begin to displace certain areas of our life:
- Recreation - instead of reading a book or playing a game, we reach for a candy bar
- Intimacy - instead of cozying up to a partner, we cozy up to some freshly baked, chocolate chip cookies
- Friendship - instead of hanging out with friends, we hang out with our pint of double fudge chocolate
- Expression - instead of sharing our feelings, we cover them up with chocolate covered almonds
- Creativity - instead of planning our next vacation or weekend adventure, we plan our next sugar high
An occasional sugar date is no big deal. However, when it becomes your modus operandi for dealing with anything and everything that life throws your way, I’d suggest taking a step back and asking: Where is the sweetness in your life?
For so many of us, we only think of sweetness as it relates to food. But what about the “sweetness” of a lover’s kiss? A child’s laugh? A blooming flower? A thoughtful gift? There is sweetness all around us in life...if we just open ourselves up to it.
If we don’t take the time to cultivate sweetness in our lives, we will continue to look for sweetness in our food - more candy, more cake, more cheese buns. Sugar can be a great mistress, but she can never be the main attraction. Rather than relying on sugar for sweetness, you can learn to find sweetness in everyday life - your cycles, your health and your mood will thank you.
How can you get what you need (sweetness) in a different way today?