“Bacon is so good by itself that to put it in any other food is an admission of failure. You’re basically saying, ‘I can’t make this other food taste good, so I’ll throw in bacon.’” – Penn Jillette

In my last blog I discussed how bacon is much more than just an amazing food. We can learn many life lessons from bacon. Bacon teaches us to turn our raw potential into something meaningful, and to celebrate our achievements.

There are additional lessons we can learn from this tasty food. So pull up a chair, fry up a few more pieces of bacon, and learn more life lessons from bacon!

3. Savor the sweet moments in life

I know you’ve done it. We’ve all done it. You eat the bacon too quickly, and in a instant it’s gone. Bacon dysphoria, I like to call it. The bacon is much more enjoyable when we stop to actually taste it.

In the same way, we can move too quickly through our lives. We attend to the problems and trials, and miss the sweet moments. To truly appreciate the sweet moments in life, we have to be intentional. By their very nature, our minds are drawn to problems; the function of the mind is to protect us and to solve problems. But with practice we can learn to appreciate the beautiful moments in life. Today, take a moment to reflect on three things things you are grateful for. This will promote savoring and appreciation.

4. Add encouragement to someone’s life

In Jim Gaffigan’s skit about bacon, he notes that adding bacon to any other food immediately makes that food edible. As Gaffigan observes, would anyone ever eat a water chestnut without bacon wrapped around it?

Bacon is an encourager.

We can also be encouragers. It’s easier to be a discourager than it is to be an encourager. And yet, we all need support and encouragement from others. Take time to motivate, inspire, and support someone else. In doing so, you will also discover the reciprocity that results from encouraging others.

Hopeful hint: Life lessons from bacon: practice, celebrate, savor, and encourage!