I have a chocolate. I have a cake. UH! Chocolate cake!
　

Ladies and Gentlemen, Contest Master   I’m in a relationship. A love-hate relationship ….   with chocolate cake. Love it when it goes here. Hate it when it goes here.

Do I look fat? Don’t answer that! A little boy who saw me for the first time said to me: “Wow, you’re so big. How do you drive a car?”.  “ I just drive a bigger car.”  “Oh, like a bus!”
　

It’s ok I’m used to being called a bus, an elephant, even a sexy hippopotamus,  however it still shocks me.

But it’s good to be shocked, otherwise we get stuck in a comfort zone. My best friend Amanda, tall, thin, beautiful, - hate her-  always tells me “Get out of your comfort zone. It’s a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there.”

Yeah right! This Chocolate cake represents my comfort zone, because I love to eat, and when I eat this, everything grows!
　

What is your comfort zone?

I used to believe I could only be happy after losing weight. So I tried everything: dieting, exercising, playing Pokemon Go and obviously……. failed! I was still a bus, an elephant, a sexy hippopotamus. Amanda, she’s very clever, said when I  step out of my comfort zone I will learn that my happiness is not about changing the shape of my body, it’s about changing the shape of my thoughts. Yeah, right!
　

Last year I was on vacation in Manila with her.  It was hot, humid and raining. We tried getting a taxi but they just looked at me and said:  “Sorry, bye!”   It made me so frustrated.  And when I’m frustrated, what do I do?  Eat! My comfort zone is  a vicious circle of eating when I’m angry, when I’m sad ,  when I’m happy, when I’m at Toastmasters……..!   

　

On that day in Manila I had a small piece of chocolate cake in my bag, in case I have a “food emergency”.  I was waiting for the right moment to eat it,  but I didn’t want to eat it in front her, coz then I had to share it, and I don’t share my food.
　

Finally we got a taxi.  The driver didn’t speak much English but we didn’t care. But every 5 min he would stop, get out, run through the rain into a shop, come back, get in and drive off without any explanation.  What was he doing? Buying betel nut? Buying me chocolate cake? Robbing the store?  When it happened again, we followed him inside. The shopkeeper told us: “Oh, he’s lost.  He’s asking for directions.”
　

 “How dare you! You should know where to go.”  I stormed out.  Now I was HUNGRY -  ANGRY - HANGRY! 

Just as I reached for my chocolate cake, they came back and off we went.  Amanda, started a conversation with him in broken English. He was from a small village 500 km away. It was his first day on the job.

 “Liar!”  I don’t believe you.  He started to cry.   Amanda said:  Quick, say something nice, he’s having a rough day.”  “When’s your birthday?” Of all the stupid questions in the world! Because he said:” Today!”  Amanda started singing happy birthday to him. Coz she’s nice and I’m not

Then she said: “Give him the cake.” 

 What cake?

The chocolate cake in your bag, Josh.

 “I’m not giving him my cake. Shut up!

Give him the cake.
　

……..Chocolate cake, oh Chocolate cake…….

He stopped crying.  He smiled. He ate my cake!

That smile went straight into my heart and changed the way I thought about myself.  
　

His smile taught me that it doesn’t matter what my shape or size is. It matters ……that I now know…….I have the power……. to create my own happiness…….  When we give happiness, we get happiness. Giving away my chocolate cake, my comfort zone, allowed me to break free and to grow, not here, but here and here.  I’m not a sexy hippopotamus anymore. I’m just sexy. Do you want to break out of your comfort zone? Do something crazy. Whack!