The Decision to Decide

    The decision making process has always been fascinating to me.  Some decisions come and go effortless while others are labored on and toiled over for weeks.  How do we choose which decisions will be considered important and which minor in comparison?  You may see that this questions doesn't really carry any weight at all.
   Being slated to graduate college this December has left me with a lingering feeling of uncertainty for the future.  I've always been a self-motivated and goal oriented individual so the thought of no more accomplishment boxes to tick off frightens me.  Sure, I have a few job options lined up, but I've never felt that a job was the end to my story.  Should I go back to college again?  Move to a different state? Become a monk?
   This battle in my head made my recognize the fact that while I obsessed with this decision every second of every day, I missed the opportunity to take ownership of my smaller decisions and in turn, my daily life.  While in my car pondering another coarse of study, I made the choice to not stop and photograph a winding mountain road splashed in fall glow.  While paying for coffee and calculating if I could afford another school loan, I made a choice to show my ugliness and be less than polite with the attendant.  While making lunch in my kitchen and stressing over where to look for an apartment, I made the choice not to enjoy the moment and wrestle with my eager bulldog.  All of these less than miraculous decisions where made by my subconscious mind while my conscious mind dealt with an issue that is still months away and ultimately not contributing to my current quality of life.
   Seeing every daily decision, especially the smaller, as a stepping stone towards a larger self picture has helped me gain confidence and also see impacts that those decisions can have on myself and those around me.  Once I recognized that all my decisions were important, I was able to gain a feeling of empowerment over my mood and the direction of my day.  Choosing this mindset will allow your mind to operate more like a helpful, community centered small business and less like a cut-throat, task centered corporation.  It's never too late to adapt and practice this philosophy.  After all, there will always be more days full of fall glow.

Food for Thinking

     I admit,  its been a while since I've been in a working kitchen.  For many professional chefs, the stress and pressure of the restaurant environment is just another mystic surrounding the creation of artistic cuisine. It is widely known that a small amount of stress or pressure can help an individual perform better and I often find this true in my tendency to cook from scratch when I experience stress and tension.
     It may seem humorous that I willingly engage in an activity that will further tax my mind when I already feel overwhelmed but the physical act of planning and executing a well thought meal can be zen-like.  Forcing the mind to calculate, estimate, plan, and multitask always produces a positive reaction even from an act as simple as preparing a meal.  I often enjoy the process so much I refuse help from others so I can tirelessly run rampant in blinding flashes with knives, plates and ingredients in hand.  
     Since the process of eating will be commencing regardless, why not get the most out of it?  Planning meals with foods such as wild salmon, berries, nuts and whole grains, beans, olive oil, spinach, beets and garlic should also help you shed mental weight and stay stress free as these foods are proven to promote optimal brain health.  Foods containing vitamin C and E are also perfect for boosting memory.
     So next time you feel the pressure, hit the local farmers market.  A simpler release is hard to come by while sampling the offerings of your creative self.