I’ve been cooking and baking a lot lately. This is new for me as I’ve never really had much interest in or passion for the kitchen. So, I’ve been wondering about the shift and why I have been more excited to create foods, concoctions and culinary masterpieces.
I believe the shift is due in part to the fact that I’ve given myself permission to experiment and deviate from the recipes. There are some foods that I love , so I find a way to add them to what I’m making. There are foods that work as higher nutrition substitutions for other ingredients and I’m playing with those to see what happens. I’m breaking the rules of the recipe and the freedom has me hooked and wanting to play more.
The experimentation has been going well. I’ve made some things that have turned out “share with others” good, and others that have been just good enough for me. Thankfully, I haven’t yet created the throw-it-off-the-back-deck-disaster that was unfit for human consumption, but I won’t be surprised when I do because I’m getting more and more brave with my science cooking projects.
OK… three paragraphs in and you might be wondering “What’s the point, Jill?”. The point is, we are all inspired, masterful creators in our own lives. We are bombarded by “recipes” for how to be happy, how to be successful, how to be good parents, how to be moral, kind, loving, generous, faithful, and so on. The recipes in and of themselves are fine and can be incredibly helpful. What I am discovering, however, is that the real magic happens when I add my special flair to the recipe. When I include what I love, when I experiment with what feels good to me, when I tap into my intuition, and when I take a chance to see what happens, that’s where true, authentic, joyful creating begins.
I have my own internal recipe for being me. You have your own internal recipe for being you. I can study other recipes for ideas, insights, and information, but the only true formula comes from within.
Have you gotten stuck in a pattern of following external recipes? Have you become afraid to try something new? When you are looking for answers, are you reliant on what others’ have to say? Are you convinced that the way others have it figured out is the only solution?
I am the only one that knows my recipe. Others can help shine a light on the places within me that it might be hiding or buried, but only I can determine the truth for me. Only I can put my unique gifts, talents and passions into form. My recipe for living this life is special for me, and my purpose is to discover my recipe and then share my creation with the world.
I invite you to become playful in your personal recipe experiments. What happens when I _____________? How do I feel if I ____________? Allow your inner rebel to challenge the recipes that have been ruling your experience. Tap into discovering the true recipe of you. You might try something that doesn’t work, and that’s okay. If you continue trying, you will discover the magnificent masterpiece that is you.