Great Journey Underway (and do your job)

We were quite busy today. We had to prep for a special event for about 300 people and do a limited service through the sister restaurant. We were also prepping for brunch and another event on Sunday night.

My prep today included;

Stock and Remi
Put away receiving (Meat, Fish and Produce)
Reorganize walk in
Make candied nuts, fruit compote
Cut bread platters
Slice meat platters and plate
Cut smoked pork for eggs benedict
Cut scallions on a bias
Make crustinis
Cut brioche for mini grilled cheese
Fry off crab cakes and shrimp lollipops
Cut 65 pounds of potatoes for fries
Cut rice rounds, bread and fry off

My days are long. Filled with work. Always go, go, go! But I would have it no other way. Reservation is right around the corner from a brewery so after work (it was a lonnnnnnnnng day) A and I went over with J and the new line guy L for a drink.

The camaraderie in a kitchen is apparent both inside and out. Inside the kitchen the work as I’ve said is continual but there are lots of moments of laughter and ribbing. The same is true outside the kitchen. After J and L had left, A and I stayed for a few more drinks and talked about his stage and the kitchen and restaurant industry in general. He is going to work for 3 months at a one star Michelin restaurant in Oxford, England. He told me that it is going to be quite the experience and that he expects to learn lots.

He also made a bet with me that I wouldn’t be there when he gets back. It was part serious and part ribbing. As we spoke it became quite clear that there are lots of people that try to come into a kitchen and for a whole host of reasons just can’t cut (no pun intended) it. To survive you need to be self-deprecating, self-assured, and skilled, have the ability to work well under pressure and so much more. I think that everyone there has a hard time figuring me out. Though as A and I spoke it became clear to him (I think) what I was doing and why I was there.

I’m going to miss A. He takes time each day to ride me a little. To push me. To make me stronger, faster and better. Several times when he has seen on my face that I was flustered or something was up he will come up and slap me on the back with a little laugh and ask; “Everything okay?” or “Are you good?” He also says; "Hey S, Shut up!" or "S, stop talking!" Again it is part humour and part serious. I joke back with him now that hey I'm not talking or hey I'll shut up now okay! I know that the experience for him over there is going to be awesome and I said to him that I hope he learns lots so he can come back and kick my ass into high gear with some new knowledge. A also said to me; "If your station is a mess then your head is a mess!" It seems like such a simple statement but there is lots in it. AND I GET IT!

We shared a few drinks and then I had to go as I had to be at work at 10am (which really means I was there earlier). As I was driving home I was really thrilled that the more I work the more I seem to understand my purpose. It is plain as day what I should be doing, what I am doing and what I am going to do. My entire life up until now has been riddled, plagued even, with trying to figure out who I was and what I wanted. But no more. I know who I am, I know what I want and I know what I need to do.

Do any of you have that clarity? For that clarity is truly one of the most remarkable things in my life. I feel blessed to have such clarity and conviction. It has caused me to reevaluate me from the inside out. Examine destructive behaviours and attitudes in order to progress and moreover to eliminate completely toxic behaviours that are self destructive and not conducive to living my dream.

The kitchen really is a great place to explore all of these questions and more. So to A, I would like to wish you bonne journee. Make the most of the experience my friend as it is going to be a hard and arduous journey but it will be one which will pay you back a million fold. I look forward to winning the bet. Travel safe.

To everyone else do something today in pursuit of you. Reach inside and dust off that dream. Shake it up and start exploring what it means to be you and what your mission is in life. Now that I’m living mine every day I truly feel reborn, filled with vim and vigour and ready to take on the world. I have perma smile both inside and out.

T. Harv Eker once said;

“Your life is not just about you. It’s also about contributing to others. It’s about living true to your mission and reason for being here on this earth at this time. It’s about adding your piece of the puzzle to the world. Most people are so stuck in their egos that everything revolves around me, me, and more me. But if you want to be rich in the truest sense of the word, it can’t only be about you. It has to include adding value to other people’s lives.”

I am beyond rich and I’ve always said that but now more than ever I realize that my life is enriched by the people that have taken me at my word. Head Chef and Exec Chef are both making an invaluable contribution in my life so that I can do the same. This experience is causing me to see what I want to become is what I will work tirelessly toward. The honesty of what I’m doing is crystal clear and I would like to believe that as those people are adding value to my life I too am adding value to theirs. Think about that statement for a while and then figure out what YOU’RE doing and what you WANT to do. Clarity is a wonderful thing.

Be inspired today!

SDM