Hey, It’s Alex,
I’m currently en route to Orlando for another pizza expo, but this time, my role will be assisting with the competition, not competing myself. It’s intriguing to be on the other side of the event and gain insights into how things operate from the inside. It’s always valuable to experience different perspectives. If I saw things solely from my wife’s perspective all the time, I might find myself in significantly less trouble… Just kidding!
On a more serious note, I’ve been working on leaving more space before reacting to situations. It’s been an interesting experiment, allowing myself time to catch up with each situation and, if I do react, ensuring that I follow it up with an understanding response about why I felt that way. In the high-pressure kitchen environment, the default is often to react immediately, but making snap decisions can have negative consequences for everyone involved.
When we act in the heat of passion and emotion, we’re not making conscious decisions; we’re influenced by a soup of chemicals flowing through our brains that can lead to choices we might regret later. It’s crucial to give ourselves the time to consider other perspectives, understand each other better, and remember that beneath it all, we share the same basic desires and needs. Regardless of whether we’re in a professional kitchen or nurturing a friendship, it’s important to acknowledge our shared humanity. Allowing room for errors and the opportunity to learn from them is vital.
“Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it” – Charles R. Swindoll.”
