I have so many feelings around Halloween. I love seeing little kids, babies and adults in costumes. I love the enthusiasm that people have in anticipation of dressing up. I loved getting lots of candy as a kid. I saw some awesome decorated houses on my walk home and felt a little magic in the air. This year I started colouring a skull drawing in celebration which helped me realize the creative potential of Halloween. The occasion can bring out our creativity and is a great opportunity to ponder the awesome life question of who do I want to be-what kind of a human do I want to be?
As a health professional, I love sugar more than most. I do not view sugar as a villain, and I openly share my love for sweets. However, I quit halloween candy about 10 years ago. I developed an innocent Halloween candy addiction when I bought some for our studio, clients brought in their extra candy and there was a bowl right by our door. I started eating little pieces of chocolate and candy around 10am and every couple hours until the end of the day. After a couple weeks I noticed I had a habit of eating candy that was hard to break. Most importantly, I noticed I was eating a lot of candy that I didn’t really love. It was a simple choice to make when I considered what sweets I truly enjoy eating, so Halloween candy has been off my list. I will eat a piece if a child offers me some from their stash and just the one piece. I had almost forgotten that I quit buying/eating halloween candy until I started reflecting on halloween. What memories do we choose to hold onto?
A couple nights ago, I came across these powerful words in a Paulo Coehlo book:
[It’s not a question of hope in the future. It’s a question of recreating your past.
If you have a past that dissatisfies you, forget it now. Imagine a new story of your life, and believe it. Concentrate only on those moments in which you achieved what you desired, and this strength will help you accomplish what you want.]
So on Halloween or any given day we can be who want to be-
