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| Artcard by Author |
When you turn 20 and feel as though a race gun has fired, the most important thing you must never do is to run. The 20 something individuals often carry this overpowering hunger to be everything and everywhere all at once, driven by the fear of being left behind. But to run is a capital sin against your growth. When you are hungry, you don’t run. You eat. When you eat, you grow.
There’s nothing quite like good food to bring you comfort in the hardest days of your life. In the moment of eating, an explosion of flavors makes you feel like you are momentarily wrapped by an overwhelming amount of warmth and happiness. Although it passes by like a bliss, it instinctively leaves you longing for more, seeking that addictive and satisfying feeling that lingers.
Yet, what often goes unseen is the story before which the plate is served. The careful choosing of ingredients, the methodical steps, the patience it demands, and most of all, the seasoning. That subtle, intentional touch that gives the dish its soul. Without it, the experience is incomplete, just as life is when we overlook the process and focus solely on the outcome.
It has always been easy to dream, yet reality reminds us that there is no easy way to reach it. We crave, and we consume, but we rarely choose to cook. To marinate. To ferment. To honor the season that is required before anything can truly be ours to take. When you cook, you add secret spices that make it unmistakably yours. In life, those are the challenges you face. The failures, the risks, the wins, and even the stagnant moments in between. These are the elements that demand patience, allowing growth and learning to unfold in their own time. They are essential to the process and necessary steps forward before you are ever able to taste success.
And so, forgive yourself for not knowing what only time could teach. Navigating life has never been a marathon; but instead, an experience to cook your signature dish. It asks you to be patient, to flow freely, to grace each moment. Every season, every challenge, every pause adds depth and flavor to the person you are becoming. There is no perfect recipe, only the one you are learning to cook with care, day by day. Just like food, people are not meant to turn out the same way or at the same time. Everyone exists in a different phase, with different ingredients, different timing, and different outcomes.
We are called to appreciate the present and stay where our feet are. Moments of doubt, and even the ache of watching others who seem to have it all figured out, are seasonings of their own. Some are for grinding, some for taking a break, some for starting again, and every single one of them matters. The beauty of life lies in your own plate. Refuse to let the pressure eat you up when you are still so raw. You are letting yourself spoil that way. Layer different seasonings and celebrate it. Trust that everything is coming together exactly as it should. Each spice, each interval, each moment of uncertainty is part of the flavor that is uniquely yours.
