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I have a vivid memory of learning about the food pyramid in second grade. You know, that triangle with colored tiers that tells you what to eat and not eat in order to be healthy. What I learned from Mr. Smith’s lesson that day was that food is supposed to nourish your body and put everything into balance. Healthy food, that is. We were urged to stay away from junk food and candy because while they may taste good and satisfy your craving for something sweet, it doesn’t nourish you.
I’d like to relate this metaphor to people and their personalities. (Don’t call me crazy, I promise it makes sense.)
I’ve always thought of myself as soul food as opposed to eye candy. While I may not be the most appealing to look at, desired, and sweet like the candy girls of the world, my soul food personality can nourish and satisfy even the hungriest of appetites. If you think about it, when you’re stuck choosing between a bowl of Hershey’s kisses or a plate of vegetables, you choice is obvious.
After eating all those kisses, you begin to notice a few things. First, you’re still kind of hungry and wishing you had more substance. You regret your decision and wish you had chosen the vegetables so that you had a higher source of energy and felt better. This can relate to people because the eye candies of the world only momentarily fulfill your needs. Sure they’re physically beautiful, sweet, easy to interact  with, but like the Hershey’s Kisses, do they truly nourish and satisfy you like the soul food can? Contrary to belief, the plate of vegetables, or soul food, would fill you up, energize you, and would give you the motivation to be your best you.
This is not to say that every beautiful looking person in the world is shallow and unsatisfying. What I’m saying is if we focus too much on the eye candy parts of the world, all we get is short-lived instant gratification with no real substance. We become unsatisfied.
Eye candies will post photos with you on their Instagram, but they will select the photograph where they only look good. They don’t remember when your birthday is, how many siblings you have, or your major in school. It’s all about image for them.
Focus on the soul foods in your life. Your mom’s ability to remember every test you had this week and ask you how you did on it. Your best friend’s stupid jokes that make you laugh until your stomach hurts. Your sister who is the most selfless person you’ve ever met and would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it.
Eye candy is great, sweet, fun and convenient. But soul food will leave you continuously full, happy, and balanced.
I am soul food instead of eye candy.
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This article is dedicated to my mom, who is the best example of soul food I could ever know.