Just Hand Over The Chocolate and No One Will Get Hurt - By Karen Linamen

When I thought of this book, I just wanted something fun to read.  No lessons to learn, no intense story lines to follow, nothing difficult just a fun read.  I really did not know what to expect as I started but surely something to do with Chocolate as the title states.

Well, as I started to read I said where is the funny humor and the stress busters. On and on I read, ready to put it down on several occasions. A little voice kept saying you committed to do this so press on.

This book is quoted as having 15 low calorie ways to lift your spirits and pull yourself out of the dumps so here they are:

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary .... How Does Your Garden Grow?

Minivacations Even a Travel Agent Could Love

A Friend in Need Needs a Friend, Indeed

Would You Like a Little Cheese with Your Whine?

Here's the Story of a Man Named Brady

Sweet Dreams

Simplify Your Life

No Trespassing

The Care and Feeding of a Grudge

The Doctor Is In

Tickle Your Inner Child

It's All In Your Head

Draw A Line In the Sand

Love Your Body

Tend to Your Soul

As I read I kept wanting to put this book down, been there done that, don't care to do that, doesn't apply to me. Until I came to #7 - Simplify Your Life. This is what I am talking about. As we age, we find the need to have a lot less STUFF in our lives. Mostly, material things. Too much to clean, dust and care for. Less material things can really cut down on the stress factor. It gives you time to focus on what is really important - your relationships. 

So I read on #8 - No Trespassing. Here we learn about privacy. As most women know - children and husbands usually have no regard for privacy. Not that they don't care, they are just so comfortable with us being there for them that they don't realize they are invading our little time alone. So we must learn to carve out a little space just for us to kick back and enjoy life.

Read on and on and then #13 (... Line In The Sand), #14 (Love Your Body)& #15 (Tend To Your Soul) really hit home. Now these are all things that most of us know, but rarely do for ourselves.

We forget that there should be boundaries in our lives whether it be what we eat, when and if we exercise and how much we rest. Most of us don't love our bodies so we tend not to pay attention to ourselves until something starts screaming that there is a health problem.

And our souls - how many of us actually nurture our relationships. I meaning really taking the time to have a positive soul. Whether it be our relationships with our Heavenly Father, our spouse, our children and/or our associates & colleagues.

What I have realized and I would not have if I had stopped reading early on (we all have the power through Christ who strengthens us) is that life is exactly what we make of it.

Should we desire to have a life less stressful we have to make a commitment to do so. Just as we are committed to being good Christians, good wives and good mothers.

There are no quick fixes just the commitment to carve out the time to be great women in every aspect of our lives should we choose to do so.

So no Chocolate recipes, no chocolate jokes and no chocolate miracles here just the knowledge that life can be less stressful even without Chocolate.

Have a Blessed Life, my sisters.

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