Don't let your happiness be undervalued...

For the last 6 months I have been working as a chef in one of the best restaurants in Birmingham. I have learnt a lot about the industry and even more about myself. For example, working 14 hour days are awful but somehow I managed it. I also learnt that burning yourself is pretty awful but again not the end of the world and I have now got to the point where it hardly even bothers me! I realised that in my life I always want to be working with food and going to cookery school was the best decision I ever made.

At times I had very strong feelings towards giving up, although not a desirable trait, I think that it is common amongst most of us and it all comes down to whether you listen to those feelings and act upon them. I did not give up when the going got tough and this surprised my friends and myself as my true toughness was revealed.

The thing is, when you are at school and university and you do well and everyone gives you a pat on the back they forget to tell you what it will be like when you leave. The real world is really hard. Whatever job you have some of the people you work with will be horrid and rude, you will be expected to make sacrifices you don’t want to make, and there will always be a day when you just feel miserable. When I came across these things I thought to myself, why did I not just go and get a graduate job so at least I would be being paid a lot more to feel like this! But then my philosophical brain reengaged and reminded me that everything we do should be in pursuit of quality of life.

My goal in life has changed slightly, I think one day I would love my own shop and cafe type place so that everyone that visits can be made to feel happy and forget about the stresses of real life. Food is extraordinary because it is a neccessity and a luxury at the same time. I think that whilst my friends and I all strive to find a good job and earn good money we should remember to be happy and find a way to have high quality of life as well. I still feel like a child lost in the large supermarket aisles of real life with no idea where I am going and where all the friendly faces have gone. But working hard and coming out the other side mostly unscathed gives me optimism for what life will hold for us all.

The last six months were the best and the worst all at the same time but it has given me a determination that I did not know I had inside me. I will be happy in my work life as well as home life because life is too short not to be! I also really hope that through my food I can spread the happiness to lots of other people. Eat, live and be happy!