Put the fork DOWN.

Today, two of my co-workers took me to lunch to celebrate a big event I helped with. Eating at restaurants still stresses me out. I have to look up the calories, and I can't eat the endless bread they give you and, blah blah blah. See when I used to go to restaurants, it was all about the food. In fact, El Dorado has been my favorite restaurant for a long time because it's all the chips you can eat and the portions are massive.

But today something awesome happened. I chose wisely, I didn't eat everything I had, and I put my fork down. That might not sound like a big deal, but let me tell you why it is.

I used to value food more than people. That might sound insane, but hear me out. In restaurant situations, especially. I know this because I wouldn't put down my fork, take the time to have conversation, and make the people I am with more important than the food in front of me.

Have you ever noticed the ways we use food? It can drive us to emotional heights and depths. And in a celebratory setting like a restaurant with friends, for me it became the thing I enjoyed more than the people I was with.

So putting the fork down was awesome. Stopping before I was full was awesome. And the conversation...was more awesome than ever. When I am able to let go of the food in my hand, I can hold onto the people that want to know me better. That's pretty awesome.

Cheers for small victories!

-Liz