To stop hiding away all of my chocolate and eating it myself so that I actually have some left over that I can start selling to all of you.
At some point, it’d probably be in my best interest, and in the best interest of every other chocolate-snob sweet-tooth owner if I began selling my chocolate, rather than excitedly letting it all be eaten by my friends (that’s not true), my family (that’s not true either), and myself (that’s 100% true). 2022 will be the year that Chocolat Philippe chocolate can start bringing happiness to a few more people, as much as it already brings me. Although, be warned, a good 90% of my stock will still be going straight in my stomach, so get in line.
To continue my mindfulness journey and learn to dampen my hedonistic cravings (for everything except for food, wine, tea, chocolate, and anything else my hedonistic cravings command me to indulge in).
I’ve been on my journey to better understand mindfulness over a long and turbulent transitional period in my life. It’s been an anchor for me to maintain a sense of control over the things in my life that have felt un-steered by the efforts of my rudder. At least, that’s what I say at my meditation meetings. Deep down, I just wanted to find a way to shut out all of the noise and stress of the world for five minutes at a time so I could really get into enjoying my chocolate. I mean, really get into it. Like, don’t call, don’t text, I’ll be a million miles away with this chocolate. It’s paradoxical to celebrate a new year when all I want is to be trapped in a room with a stack of chocolate and absolutely no sense of time, but I’m nothing if not perennially paradoxical.
To perfect my tea brewing skills (it feels like I should be adding more to this one, but no, something this important stands alone).
It may sound simple, but don’t be fooled. Making the perfect cup of tea is like building a cube out of a thousand lego bricks. Sure, the end result may seem pretty straightforward, but oh, the volume of vital components! Brewing time, do you stretch to 4 minutes? If you go further, do you have to overcompensate with your milks or honeys? What kind of sweetener, what kind of dairy or non-dairy? A favourite brand? Brewing the perfect cup of tea is in itself a microcosm for life, for chocolate, for mindfulness, for anything. Only once all of the components and combining elements sit in perfect harmony can we expect a consistent, reliable output that rewards us with happiness and comfort. I know what you’re going to say. I’m overthinking my tea. Well, let me tell you, there is no such thing as overthinking something as integral to a good life as a good cup of tea.
