Hey there, Alex here—
I’ve been reflecting on how much power I inadvertently grant to various situations at the restaurant. Whether it’s a clash with an employee, persistent errors from suppliers, equipment malfunctions, or a critical Yelp review, these daily stressors can drain our energy.
The above quote struck a chord with me because I’ve been contemplating what truly holds significance. Life is this fluid concept, interpreted differently by each of us. It’s easier for many of us to lean into negativity, taking things personally and getting tangled up in issues that, in the grand scheme, hold little importance. We become too preoccupied with our pride and self-worries to realize that we’re often the ones impeding our own progress.
We attribute significance to situations, be it the letdown of an employee, frustration with a vendor, irritation over a plumbing problem, or the sting of a negative review, all of which we inflict upon ourselves. These emotions become tools through which we assign meaning to circumstances. I’ve been striving to be more mindful, intercepting my thoughts before they spiral into emotions that steer me, rather than the other way around. In my time in the kitchen and adulthood, I’ve realized I’ve often put specific problems on a pedestal instead of letting them drift by like everything else in life does, freely in the wind.
“Nothing is heavy if we take it lightly” – Ward Farnsworth
