Recently, I stumbled upon the blog Just a Taste....the Flavors of Life in Small Bites and was immediately enchanted by both the recipes and the philosophy. On her About page, the author says she is a big fan of keeping things light, of maintaining balance, and of never depriving herself of life’s little indulgences. Granted, she is mainly talking about food, but wouldn’t that also be a delicious approach to life in general?
Think of the ways “Just a Taste” of beauty, good, appreciation, and love could transform your life experience and spill over to those around you...
My parents tended to be fault-finders and it’s way too easy to fall into the patterns we have been immersed in as children. In my case, their critical perspective mutated “positively” into seeing how anything could (should) be better. That “continuous improvement” perspective served me well in my career as a consultant, but deprived me of savoring the beauty and wonder already all around. It got so bad I could hardly take a walk without seeing 10 ways to improve everything along the way. Even though technically this was a more positive approach, it was robbing me of all the flavors of life, turning it instead into something dull and tasteless to be endured.
Clearly, an adjustment was needed.
So I made a commitment to begin sampling the little things, the tiny moments, the sweet treats, and little luxuries that make life so scrumptious. So instead of just sipping a glass of wine, I rolled it around in my mouth, noticing each flavor nuance, each sensation, each element of pleasure. Instead of just thinking “pretty tree” when the leaves began changing in the fall, I noticed that particular tree, the patterns, the colors, the shape. Instead of just saying “nice to see you” when a chance encounter occurred, I paid attention to the interaction, how it brightened or informed my day. And when less-than-tasty incidents occurred, I looked for something, anything, to appreciate no matter how challenging that might be.
And a funny thing happened – the more I consciously worked on installing this new habit of savoring and appreciating, the more I began noticing things to enjoy and appreciate just the way they were right now. As my thought habit changed, it seemed the world shook off the dust of needing to improve and began sparkling right now in this moment without losing its sense of future possibility. There was even a bonus – the hurtful ugly things of the past, things that had sometimes muddied my present, got crowded out. They were still there and their lessons could still be accessed, but they were no longer clouding what was right in front of me.
Thankfully, I haven’t lost the ability to see possibilities, but cultivating the habit of noticing the flavors of all life offers in each moment means I am no longer depriving myself of the scrumptious little indulgences that had been begging for my attention. Just a taste of deliciousness in each moment transforms all of life. And a little chocolate doesn’t hurt either.
Anne Wade is Teacher, Writer, Mentor, and Coach for courageous women in midlife and beyond who want to disrupt their own status quo and design life on their own terms, even in turbulent times. She has developed the Becoming Found process of going within to find and address the inner barriers we have all inadvertently built up against love, happiness, health, wealth and any other desires of our hearts. Teaching women to unapologetically shine like a superstar and live their legacy is Anne’s mission.
You can follow her on her Facebook page “Anne Wade – Becoming found” or join her “Becoming Found” Facebook group.