If we knew we were going to die in a year or within a specific time frame, what would we do? This is not a morbid thought or question, if anything it made me think about what I wanted, liked and enjoyed most in my life.

My husband and I intermittently speak about what we would like to do with our lives in general terms. Ideal jobs, holiday homes, countries to visit and/or live in. What would make us feel truly alive and happy? We discuss. We mull. We get practical. We stop.

We revisit the same topic when we have one of those heavy sigh ‘if only’ moments or when someone close to us dies or is diagnosed with a fatal illness or something cataclysmic happens. We take stock. We wonder where our lives are heading or not and tell ourselves we should do more. We declare we should spend more time with the family, do fun things and generally be less stressed and not work all the hours of the day, every day.

It is both strange and sad but we are guilty of putting off even simple, accessible and affordable things to the next weekend, the next long holiday or worse still, retirement. We get caught up in our daily routines and unwittingly forget and fall back into the mould we create for ourselves. We are creatures of comfort and while we want to be adventurous, we revert to the familiar because it is all too easy.

If I really only had a year to live, I am not sure how I’d react and I don’t know if I could see any point in doing this exercise. I am not sure if I could get past the fact that I won’t be around a year from now. Ironically, that was the point.

I asked myself one question – “What makes me the most happiest, other than my husband (obviously)?” I found it easier for a few reasons. One, I could be absolutely selfish; two, it didn’t matter whether it was practical or doable; three, no one was going to judge me for being facetious just because I did not include plans to save the world, and four, it was hypothetical, which made it an emotion-free, quite happy exercise.

I know what gives me the most joy – chocolate. I brim from ear to ear when I eat, talk, watch and read anything chocolate related – cakes, biscuits, ice-cream, pies and chocolates. Anything desserts turn me on.

I love frequenting chocolate cafes, bakeries and patisseries in Malaysia and overseas. I have many local favourites. TGIF was top of the list until the Mocha Mud Pie was removed from its menu. I fought a little battle with TGIF Malaysia. This heavenly chocolate goodness was re-instated for a while, only to be booted out again because of a new menu. I mean, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I was under the impression, wrongly, that the cardinal rule of customer service was serving customers what they wanted.

I enjoy surfing the net for chocolate fairs and reviews on all kinds of chocolate and desserts to savour. Trying and exploring unusual flavours, clever combinations and artistic designs make me belly tickling happy.

I am no connoisseur, by any measure. I just revel in sweet delights. Such wonderful morsels of pleasure, whether it’s the Grand Hyatt KL’s dramatic signature chocolate cake, Adriano Zumbo’s amazing macarons (shame we don’t have them in Malaysia yet) or flying especially to Perugia for the chocolate festival or enjoying a chocolate spa (although I couldn’t eat it) as a birthday treat.

I watch anything with desserts on TV. Food Network is my go-to channel for sweet offerings. I watch repeats and I record the repeats and watch them. In an ‘anything is possible’ world we live in now, what if the chocolate creations could permeate the TV screen into our living room. Talk about reality TV!

I want to eat all things chocolate and all at once. Chocolate is after all a legal commodity, but common sense (sugar highs, hic!) guides me to ration my intake. I have always had desserts many times a week. I used to feel a little guilty for having my cake and eating it too but really it is acceptable ‘to be a little naughty and live a little in the now’.

I know it sounds trite even to me but chocolate really does make me happy, and it has never disappointed me in good and not-so-good times. It is my all-moods and all-weather BF – whatever tomorrow or the next 12 months hold.

My takeaway from the exercise – chocolate rules my queendom, and why not?