Halo Top Creamery got its start in 2012 when former attorney, Justin Woolverton decided that he needed to find a lower calorie alternative to traditional ice cream. Another attorney, Doug Boulton joined him in the quest.

Today, Halo Top lite ice cream is sold in pints around the world. According to Wikipedia, “In July 2017, [it] became the best-selling ice cream pint at grocery stores in the United States, surpassing in popularity the Ben & Jerry’s and Häagen-Dazs brands, which previously held that distinction for years.”

One of their TV adverts features a plus-size gal dancing in a way that leaves no one misunderstanding: This girl is a large. No problem with that. Far from it. In fact, the text that accompanies her dancing goes like this:

  • I “should” lose weight
  • I “should” work out
  • I “should” eat more salads
  • I “should” skip desserts

The tag line — as the girl grabs a pint of Halo Top ice cream is: “Stop ‘shoulding’ yourself.”

Visit the web site, and the mantra is clear: We all constantly tell ourselves things we ‘should’ do. At Halo Top, we believe it’s time to #StopShouldingYourself. And why not? The packaging of each pint declares in big numbers the calories: 360, 280, or 320. The product is made with a natural and organic ingredients and is a “great-tasting” source of protein.

No wonder that Halo Top asks us to “should” ourselves in only one way. We should “stop shoulding ourselves.” There’s an irony there as delicious as the ice cream itself.

But in life, we can’t stop shoulding ourselves, can we?

  • We should obey municipal, state and federal laws.
  • We should wear seat belts.
  • We should wear masks.
  • We should practice social distancing.
  • We should pay our taxes.

And, then, if we look at the Bible — or any sacred text — there’s a tsunami of “shoulding” involved in being a good Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or whatever.

  • We should be kind one to another.
  • We should be patient.
  • We should share with each other
  • We should put others first, ahead of ourselves
  • We should pray
  • We should love God
  • We should love our neighbors as ourselves
  • We should be compassionate
  • We should be humble and resist pride

Do you want more?

That said, I can understand the marketing strategy of Halo Top. Sometimes, one wants to be self-indulgent. I will go further than Halo Top: Forget lite ice cream. Get some creamy premium ice cream and have a half-pint, even once a week. Indulge. Be moderate. No problem.

But don’t forget to shoulding. You owe it to your community, your house of worship, your neighbors, your friends.

You owe it yourself.