Often, when I'm coaching clients to kick their sugar addiction, I'm hit by moments of intuition as to what may help people. (In coaching school with iPEC, they taught us to honor, respect and look for those flashes.)
So last Wednesday, during one of my Break-Free Group Coaching sessions, the idea hit me out of the blue that members might be helped if they wrote a letter or poem to their favorite sweets.
I then asked members what they thought of the idea of doing this. (I never give assignments.)
On Friday, Megan Bozman, one of our members, ran with the idea and wrote a brilliant, insightful, poignant letter while tempted by a cake at work.
She then confided to us (the group members and me): "B-day cake, vanilla with white icing is one of my #1 fav sweets — and that happens to be EXACTLY what is in our conference room right now, about 5 feet from my desk. So I figure it's a good time to write that letter to my fav sweet (which, as of Wed night, I was already planning on making white b-day cake!)"
Here's how Meg confronted Cake — a letter I'm republishing with her permission:
"Dear Cake,
"It's not you; it's me. I am aware this is cliched, but it is the truth in this case. You are not an evil entity.
"While you are a nutritional wasteland, you are not evil in moderation. I still plan to welcome you into my home to celebrate my son's birthdays and other such occasions.
"Again, it's not you; it's me. Something in me doesn't react well to you & I realize this. You are fantastic during the too-brief time I get to enjoy you. Ecstatic & wonderful.
"But too often, before I even finish swallowing the last bite, I just want more! Then, I still want more and more and more. That is where the evil comes into play… it is in large quantities that you become evil.
"And I won't waste time elaborating on why large quantities of you are bad. That doesn't bear repeating.
"When I get ensnared by your addictive properties, I feel terrible; both physically & emotionally. The feeling of being hooked is dreadful. For one thing, it's just simply embarrassing! It also has a negative effect on my self-esteem (really, I can't `just say no' & only eat a moderate amount?! What is wrong with me?)
"I don't have some of the negative effects some experience such as stomach pains, yeast infections, skin problems, & blood sugar crashes causing a rapid decline in both energy & mood. However, I feel bloated, fat, and, well, gross. Feeling fat & gross makes me feel ugly. It's just bad; just all around bad.
"So there you sit in the conference room. I'm sure others will enjoy you — don't fret. Cake rarely goes uneaten in any office. But for now, I'm 10 days sweets-free & intend to go another 11 days for a round 3 weeks. At that point, I'm thinking I'll stick to a serving of dessert or sweets once every 3 weeks.
Ta ta,
Meg"
Megan then told us that she shared her Letter to Cake with her husband, who came back with a hilarious response. He wrote:
"Dear Meg,
"I appreciate your honesty and admire your sincerity. Let me just start off by letting you know that I do cherish our relationship. Throughout the years, we have had countless wonderful experiences together. The feeling of having you fight over me makes me smile. I love how I cause you such anger and turmoil.
"I am so simple. Just a few ingredients are all I am. I am but made of flour, sugar, eggs, salt, and butter. I mean you no harm at all. It is not my fault that you’re bickering over me.
"All I want is attention from you. I want you to drool over me. I want you to be thinking about me while you drive in your car. I want my cousins (cookie crumbs in your car) to remind you of me also. Please don’t throw away all we have had together.
"Our relationship is NOT one way. I give you a quick fix, and I receive enjoyment through attention. Attention is what I crave from you. I have been missing you these last 2 weeks or so. I am lonely without you. Please come back to me so we can be bad together. Sure you will be mad and upset a few minutes after we reunite but it will be so good. Come eat me!
Hungrily, Cake"
Aren't these provocative, insightful, eye-opening letters about sugar's power over us?
If you were going to write a letter to your favorite sweet "treat," what would it say? Share it here with us, please!
Stay tuned for my Letter(s) to Red Vines or Twizzler's, See's Molasses Chips and Hard Candies.