S
tay Sane ~ Control your Brain! Did I say that? Yes. Yes I did. And Why? Because the only thing you actually can control is what goes on between your own two ears!
I spent years walking the serene grounds of The Golden Door in Escondido (<—–picture shot and cropped in Photoshop by Chef Marian), enjoying silence and really hearing the dialog that was going on in my own mind.
And I should stop and take this opportunity to thank Cristina Ferrare for introducing me to it on one of her shows and at the same time let you know how disappointed I was to have experienced Barbara Walters, who was there during one of my trips. She really does not care about who she offends… (that’s right from the horse’s mouth) …… so different than her image. Left me feeling sorry for her. Cause you know what comes around, goes around right?
AND HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO COOKING, CHEF MARIAN?
Just wait. I’ll get there.
I have always thought: The purpose of the brain is to add 2 and 2 and get 4. And there’s the ego…. the part of your brain (must be, cause it certainly isn’t your heart or soul messing with you), whose sole purpose is to protect you.
And that’s who is controlling or should I say what is controlling your running dialog. Do you hear it? It’s what someone said to you as a child, or what others may think, or what someone said yesterday, or what happened today and your part in it…. what you shoulda, woulda, coulda done better, etc. Right?
And sometimes these ‘stories’ we run, aren’t even accurate. The comments we think, aren’t even true. And yet they seem to play over and over again. And I’m here to tell you today, that as you catch yourself hearing that voice, you need to shut it down. I’ve been known to ‘meditate’, count my breath One (in) And (out), Two (in) And (out) etc. and if you find yourself counting 38 (and you were only supposed to go to 20)…. then you know your mind took over, and you really do have to start again! lol
Sometimes it takes relocating to a new space, turning on the TV, doing something fun or artistic….. or learning something new. But this running dialog if left unchecked can make you a lousy home chef.
AAAAH. I SEE. WE’RE FINALLY THERE, CHEF MARIAN.
Yes. We’re finally here.
How about the “I can’t do this” line? Well, ya know, no matter what you think, you’re right. If you think you can’t, you can’t.
Ever lose your keys? And instead of flipping out, stressing out…. pick the road less traveled? Tell yourself you know it’s here, release the stress factor and logically deduce step by step where they could be? And because you are sure you can find them, you do? In today’s world, we say we are ‘calling’ it to ourselves, to make it happen.
It’s the same thing in the kitchen. Once you’ve had time in a kitchen with me, you gain a sense of confidence maybe just in one area, for 2 or 3 dishes…. and you build on that confidence. You become sure of being ok to experiment and create healthier and more flavorful food, without a ‘fear’ factor. And when you’re ready to learn more, or maybe you and your friends are ready, you call me again. And that to me, is the best relationship we can have.
We stop that voice that says ‘I can’t”, and replace it with “How can I”? And if you don’t have those answers, you can bet I do!
Even before I come to your home you can start a list of everything you have ever wanted to know about shopping for food, picking the right fruits and vegetables (there’s actually a ‘science’ to it), substituting the right stuff into your pantry and fridge to make it healthier, questions about being gluten free, or sugar free, or soy free or dairy free, making food healthier and more flavorful, using machines you may have in your kitchen, wanting to know what else you might buy to make life easier, or even creative ideas you’ve had about putting things together and wondering if the ingredients would or would not work. You get it all answered during our time together.
Log onto San Diego Foodies and become a member. There’s no charge, but you get to RSVP to events I create, plus…. you get to email me your contact info, if you would like a Cooking Class in your kitchen. (You can also go on ‘about’ here, to find my email address as well).
I go thru this process because I don’t want the spammy spiders picking up my email here on a post. I’ve been told to watch it!
Happy Eating,
Chef Marian