Valentine's Day is coming up so I wanted to celebrate whether you are with a loved one or alone to remember you will always have chocolate! So feel free to indulge in my special 4 part series of inspiring stories about the delicious world of chocolate and how it can make positive changes in your life.
Now have you ever mentioned the word chocolate and seen someone's eyes light up? Their posture straightens, facial expressions look excited and they get a little burst of energy for that moment. You are suddenly both connected sharing a delectable sensory memory. And for a second you can see the happy little kid inside them. That's how easy it is to make a connection with someone over a timeless passion like chocolate.
Recently I gave a keynote called 'How Chocolate Builds Connections' for a wonderful organization of career practioners called ACP International. I started off by announcing I was celebrating my company, Crackers World Communication's 20th anniversary. I then celebrated my brand new blazer I was wearing. Mentioning the blazer was important because the point was it made me feel like a million bucks. And expressing what excites you unleashes your enthusiasm and enthusiasm is contagious.
Expressing one's feel good feelings is the key to chocolate's multiple benefits. It is a passion for many people and it initiates two factors. First, the very thought of chocolate can lift your spirits and secondly it can connect you with others on a shared sensory level. Whether it is white, dark or milk chocolate, it has a way of instigating sighs and the enthusiastic sharing of one's favourites. Lindor, Toblerone, Ganong, Cadbury, Nestle's, Belgian, Swiss, French... ahhh... are you imagining the creamy sensations and sensual sweet textures melting in your mouth right now?
All those enjoyable taste sensations stimulate the release of endorphins. Endorphins are natural opiates produced in the brain which function as the body's own natural painkillers. In fact endorphins means 'morphine of the body' and is reportedly 10 times more powerful than morphine. And so highly desirable and palatable foods like chocolate have their pleasure enhanced by the release of endorphins.
Chocolat (2000)
The romantic drama movie Chocolat
explores the wonderful, passionate effects of chocolate on people. The story shows how its deliciousness can bring people together, melt the walls around family members and, of course, the sensual and sexy benefits of the cocoa bean! One of my favourite scenes is a housewife buying some highly recommended chocolates for her husband who'd lost his passion for the marriage. Later you see a transformation come across his face as he nibbles on these new treats. I'll let you use your imagination of what happens next and the kind of passionate screaming that soon came out of their home.
Remember that passion and chocolate are inseparable and it's fundamental benefits can connect you with others. So be open to sharing your feelings about chocolate with people you meet when the subject comes up. Chocolate is a great ice-breaker.
Allow yourself to express your enthusiasm and your eyes will light up. Someone somewhere will see that glow and light up in recognition too. Then you'll know you've made a connection!
"Age may wrinkle the face but lack of enthusiasm wrinkles the soul."
Danish proverb
"There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate."
Linda Grayson, The Pickwick Papers
"I never met a chocolate I didn't like."
Deanna Troi, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Read Part 1: Click here
Read Part 2: Click here
Read Part 3: Click here
Read Part 4: Click here
Emmanuel Lopez
www.motivatorman.com
© Emmanuel Lopez 2007
Yes chocolate can recharge our life in a second, and it's up to you what you're gonna do with that energy :)
ReplyDeleteCheers
Harvey