"Silence Is Golden... But Chocolate Is Better"

"Silence Is Golden... But Chocolate Is Better"

The older we get, the wiser we think we are. It’s like a trade-off: fewer working knees, but more unsolicited advice to hand out. Some people become walking encyclopedias, ready to dispense knowledge like a vending machine that never runs out of quarters.

And honestly, learning is thrilling—almost as thrilling as finding an extra piece of chocolate when you thought the box was empty. The more we experience, the more we want to share our hard-earned wisdom. Naturally, we believe we should sprinkle our brilliant advice around like cocoa powder on a fancy dessert.

But after years of giving my “expert” opinions (often unrequested), I’ve realized something life-changing: sometimes, the best advice is… no advice at all. Instead of blurting out my “obviously correct” answer like I’m the reigning champion of Who Wants to Be a Know-It-All?, I’ve learned to just pause. Maybe even—brace yourself—stay quiet. Instead, I let the other person figure things out, or I toss out a thought-provoking question and let them marinate in their own brilliance. Because when we jump in too fast, we don’t just interrupt—we rob them of the joy of discovery. And that’s just plain rude. Almost as rude as someone eating the last brownie without asking.

Now, let’s be real—keeping my mouth shut isn’t exactly my natural talent. My inner “fix-it fairy” wants to swoop in like a superhero whose only power is butting in. But you know what’s even better? Watching someone puzzle through an issue, try different solutions, and finally have that glorious light bulb moment. It’s like watching a chocolatier craft the perfect truffle—painstakingly slow, but so worth it in the end. And, let’s be honest, sometimes their solution is better than mine (which is both humbling and annoying).

So now, when someone asks for advice, I take a deep breath, bite my tongue (preferably while also biting into a piece of chocolate), and let them figure it out. Because learning when not to speak is a surprisingly sweet skill—and if I have to keep my mouth shut, I might as well keep it full of something delicious. Keeping it real! XO