DANCE AWAY WITH A LATTE A DAY

“Yes, I’ll have a venti, non-fat, sugar-free, extra hot, and easy on the foam, Caramel Macchiato.”

“Hi Jana! Come right to the window and we’ll have your drink ready for you.”

“Thanks, Carrie! I really need this latte today. It has been one pickle of a week.”

“Oh, Jana. You need this coffee everyday. Who are you kidding?”

Yup, I do need my latte everyday. It’s pretty sad when they know not only my drink at Starbucks, but they know my name. This has been both my weakness and my indulgence over the past few years. I’m positive I could post a hundred blogs about the fear of losing Starbucks. However, there are currently three Starbucks within the Halifax Regional Municipality, and one to open on Spring Garden Road this coming spring. So, it’s safe to say Starbucks is here to stay.

I have had many fears this week, which made it extremely hard to elaborate on just one. Fear of not getting my assignments done on time. Fear of failing my midterms. Fear of presenting a speech. Fear of letting my friends down. The greatest Fear of them all this week, Fear of FAILURE, in general. Needless to say, I really needed my venti, non-fat, sugar-free, easy on the foam, Caramel Macchiato latte. (You don’t even want to know how many calories are in this drink.)

After sipping back many-a-latte this week, I realized something incredibly obvious. This latte luxury is one of my weapons to fight the countless fears I have. With each mouthful of caffeine delight, I breathe a sigh of relaxation. My mind becomes clearer. I can suddenly take on the world with all its ups and downs. In essence, my FEARS melt away.

WEAPONS OF FIGHTING FEAR

In light of this discovery, I began to explore other Weapons of Fighting Fear. A few of these findings may seem insignificant to some individuals, but to the ones fighting their everyday fears, these weapons can be exceptionally powerful.

We can Fight Fear with:

• humour or comedy
• friendship
• a Shopping spree
• love
• bubble gum
• faith
• oreo cookies
• music
• a dance or two
  or even
• hope
  

I could describe each one of these anxiety, combating tools in more detail. Instead, I will expand on one of my favorite ways to release the tension of fear, DANCING.

QUEEN OF THE DANCE FLOOR

While most people go to a dance club or a fire hall to boogie the night away, I find myself grooving to the beat of my own drum at work. “Work”, you say? How can you possibly dance at work? I work where music is played all day, the clients will move with you, and FEAR is nowhere to be found. I work at an all women’s gym, Curves for Women. It is here I can get down and have some fun with women of all ages. We have some women that love “the oldies, but the goodies” music. This is where I shake my hips and do the Elvis Pelvis move. Or we have several ladies that prefer the modern day techno tunes. I then flaunt my Jennifer Lopez style on the gym floor. (I hope you aren’t getting a mental picture because it ain’t pretty.) Whatever the music being played, you can be sure someone is dancing to it, including myself. With this Fear Fighting Weapon and a latte in my hand, I can Fight my Fears until the break of day.

For more nutritional information on Starbucks coffee please visit www.starbucks.com, but you may not want to know this info as it could affect your espresso experience.