that being said, the whole theme of this post is about adaptability and change.
change has always been something I’ve struggled with, and I think everyone does, but what I’ve learned from the first 25 years of living is that it’s not something productive to dwell on. also, being the youngest child in my entire extended family, adaptability was something I had to learn quick, and I’ve taken that with me in all aspects of my life.
as my calm app has taught me through guided meditation,
‘it is not impermanence that makes us suffer, what makes us suffer is wanting things to be permanent when they are not'.
oouuff, so true.
of course, it’s completely healthy to process your emotions as you are going through these transformations, and I definitely have been for the last 4 months. it’s been one helluva leap moving to my husband’s hometown of Kitchener-Waterloo for this Toronto city gal!
molly yeh, you are my inspo! synopsis: city girl moves to husband’s family sugar beet farm and kills it in the food blogging world - I can relate!
change is tough and we all go through it, but it’s how we deal with it that counts. when you are able to move on from how things were and break down any expectations of how you should be, things begin to fall into place.
through my recent struggles I have made the following breakthroughs -
it has never been clearer as to who I am and who I want to be - an asian, female chef proud of her upbringing and so damn excited to show the world her food (I believe in you Kitchener - your palates will change one day!)
the amount of time and space I’ve had has allowed me to pursue my hobbies and passions more so than ever
I basically have my ideal work situation for this point in time and the opportunity fell right into my lap! (I have the freedom to menu plan and execute lunch at a local grocery store 4 days a week, cooking what my heart desires, and giving me a day to work on personal growth as well!)
I have an incredible support system
it takes just a little nudge of confidence to put yourself out there - I’ve already met such an amazing, supportive group of like-minded makers in the community through meetups and just reaching out
it’s not easy, but we can flip things around by keeping an open-mind and taking all opportunities as opportunities to grow. we can push ourselves to always learn and stay curious of views outside of our own. we can question the status quo when it doesn’t align with our being and make change.
and with all that, we have to support and lift each other up ‘cause frankly, there’s already enough crap in this world.
at any point in time, something will not go as you imagined it, but you’re gonna make the best damn lemon bar with whatever lemon you were given! and just like in cooking, balance is key.
for more on my journey as a chef and what I’ve been up to lately, check out the podcast below :)
- jannell lo
current inspirations -
molly yeh - blog goals
miki agrawal - her book disrupt-her basically sums up everything I believe humans should and can be
stephanie izard - winner of top chef season 4, winner of iron chef gauntlet, owner of 3 restaurants (plus more to come), mom, superwoman. we recently ate at girl in the goat in chicago and it’s now my favourite restaurant ever - everything was so thoughtful and so well-executed. so much props to you girl.