Speaking of Chocolate...

Remember that line from the movie Forrest Gump, where Forrest says his momma told him life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get? Well, I think it’s missing something-the second half of the line.

I recently bought a big box of chocolates. They were all pretty and yummy looking and I knew I was gonna love some of them and I would probably not care for some of them, but I was going to bite them all just the same.

And I did. I bite every one of them and I never did know what I was gonna get. Sometimes I was thrilled to find raspberry, mint, or caramel, some of my favorites. Other times I took a bite and found something that was good, but not great, like vanilla or chocolate cream. Those I put back. Then some times I got a bite of something that I really didn’t like, such as hazelnut or peanut or strawberry nougat, UCK. I spit out the bite as fast as I could and placed the rest of it back in the box.

Yes, back in the box. I was living every kid’s fantasy of taking a bite out of every chocolate in the box and being allowed to put the ucky ones back. When I was done with the box, which didn’t take long because I only ate what I really liked, about a third of them, I felt really happy with the candies I had eaten, and I was fine with the fact that I had tossed the rest of them out.

And I had discovered the missing line from Forrest Gump.
The complete line goes like this: Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get, but you can always spit it out if you don’t like it and pick another one.

If you need to practice letting go of what you don’t like, a big box of chocolates is a good place to start. Remember, just because you picked it up and took a bite doesn't mean you have to eat the whole thing. Now, spitting isn't always pleasant, in fact, you might consider it gross while you are in the process. Spitting often upsets the people around you, but don't you feel better after you "spit it out!" - Whatever it is?

In life, if you don't like the result of your choices, you can choose to move onto something that suits you better.

Oh, and if you liked Forrest Gump, try the 1970’s version, “Being There” starring Peter Sellers.