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Quarantine Calories Don’t Count

By Joey Havens

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Looking into the freezer, I’m excited to see my canister of homemade chocolate peanut butter bars are right on top — probably because I was standing at this exact place last night, too, while CeCe was in the back of the house. They taste better when I sneak a few as CeCe likes to “encourage” me to meet my weight goal.

With great discipline, I lift out only two small bars and close the freezer. These special treats are a gift from our neighbor and wonderful friend, Jan. Jan is a giver and she knows how to make you feel special. Her homemade chocolate peanut butter bars are incredible. Addictive. Did I mention eating them last night or the night before? Ha!

Being completely transparent, this is the last gift I need. My discipline is only as strong as the amount of non-tempting food in my home. I won’t buy it, but if CeCe does or it gets in the house, I’m in trouble. 

These treats are a favorite of CeCe’s, too, and we always share with Jan our gratitude and compliment her on how delicious these chocolate delights are. But, what have these compliments and sincere gratitude gotten me? Trouble! And my temptations continue to grow as Jan continues to be a delightful giver who, as we all do, loves a compliment. 

Authentic compliments are powerful, and they do lead to better relationships and more opportunities. Compliments are a great way to communicate our appreciation. Do we truly compliment our clients? Are we focused on what makes them special?  

Let’s take some compliments out of the freezer and see how they taste. By the way, Jan, I’m clearly looking for trouble as I have just shared with the world that you make the best chocolate peanut butter bars ever. Quarantine calories don’t count, right?

Am I on Mute?