Food For Thought: Starting Over in 2016
Food for Thought —
As much as I enjoy the holidays, I am always anxious to start over. With the arrival of the new year, I am invigorated and ready to do a little soul searching and shedding, how about you? Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat, Pray, Love fame, once said the arrival of January is just liking getting a do-over. It doesn’t matter how we screwed-up, we get to leave the past behind and start fresh. A new year is like a blank sheet of paper, perfect and unblemished, waiting for us to pick up the pen and begin writing our own story.
Being Brave
A big part of my story this year is about taking risks and embracing my fears because bravery is an integral part of the creative process. Without bravery we can’t step outside of our comfort zone, so our ideas and life remain small. That’s something I learned by experience when I decided to return to college at age 40 to study Design. The program was competitive, and I was scared to death that I wouldn’t be good enough. My anxiety was compounded by the fact that I was twice the age of my classmates, had an hour commute, and a family waiting at home. I swallowed hard and realized the only thing I would ever really regret was not trying. The rest is history, I graduated and eventually went on to teach design at the same university. I learned so many things about myself through the process, but the most important is that you fail your way to success one step at a time.
If there is one thing that I have learned along the way, it is that there are no quick and easy 10-step plans for life, or for anything else worthwhile. A year from now I’m hoping to stand where I am and enjoy how far I have come because I was brave. So as I end my first post of the year, I hope you too will embrace 2016 as a year of curious adventure because “It’s never too late to become what you might have been.”
Inspired Pairings . . .
Bravo! Very well done, inspirational, interesting, colorful photos…and recipies that I can’t wait to try soon. Looking forward to the next posting. Again, congratulations. Your friend, Polish Girl
Thanks for your support!
This is a labor of love and just like a child, I can’t wait to see what it will become.
Great job! You are an inspiration to all of the capable ladies out there looking to start anew, even when the world says they should be through.
So true! When I taught at KU my students would say “I don’t know what I want to do” – and I would reply neither do I! How do I find meaning in purpose in this season of my life? I think the common denominator is that everyone has the same questions no matter their age. It’s the process of “trying stuff on for size” that makes it all so interesting. Thanks for your support
I am so impressed and proud of you. You may not realize it, but you have always taken risks and most of the time succeeded. I am proud to be a member of your extended family.
This is my time to tie together all my skills and experiences into something that is uniquely my own. I love the design aspect and picking up my camera again has been fun. It’s hard work – but then everything that is worthwhile always is.
Love and appreciate all the support.
Marilyn–I am still wondering what I want to do when I grow up–and since I am only 76, I think I still have some time to decide.
Right now, my main goal is just to try your recipes. Just wish you were available to prepare them for me.
And one of my long term goals is to travel to Italy with friends and spend time enjoying the sights and the food.
A cooking trip to Italy would be so much fun! Along with all the beautiful pictures I would take, I would share everything I learned with my growing list of readers!!! Gonna add that to the list of things to do!