For Such A Time As This

“It’s impossible,” said pride. “It’s risky,” said experience. “It’s pointless,” said reason. “Give it a try,” said the heart. – Unknown

This past week has been filled with lots of different activities. I had conversations with people about my life, journey and work. I connected with people I didn’t know existed a few months ago. I’m meeting people for lunches and visiting others; this is all on the back of my recent adventures in the MasterChefUK kitchen.

This wasn’t something that I planned to do and being in a whirlwind is the only way I can describe the few weeks leading up to me going on the show. As Eddie, the 2022 winner said, “he felt like his whole life had been leading up to being in the MasterChef kitchen and finally lifting that trophy made it worthwhile.”

I can relate to how Eddie felt given his passion for food and what he said because that’s exactly how I felt about being in the MasterChefUK kitchen. I felt like everything that had gone on before in my life prepared me for the experience.

Although I never actually saw myself taking my food to the MasterChef kitchen, I’m always willing to try and I dare to dream every time. I am not afraid of new experiences, apart from karaoke which is still on my bucket list.

I am willing to pay the price it takes to get anything that matters done and by price I mean only ethical things, hard work, determination and sheer grit.

I will make the sacrifices required to complete my personal or professional goals. I would be happy to make financial sacrifices to pay for the things that will advance my goals.

It’s all down to the choices that we are willing to make for the things that we want and the peace of mind that we need. It’s about our thoughts on short term versus long term pains, goals and desires.

When I look over my life, I must give credit to my upbringing for the values that I cherish and live by today. I was raised not to be afraid of hard work or expect things to be handed to me on a plate. I was told I had to be willing to pay the price for the life that I wanted and no one has two brains so I really have no excuses to not be able to make something of my life.

In a culture and at a time when children were meant to be seen and not heard, my father bucked the trend by allowing us to be counter-cultural in our upbringing.

From my father, I learnt about not giving up on your dreams as he completed his Bachelor degree after my brother and I were born. He was determined to accomplish his goals and we saw what it took to make it happen.

People always ask me, ‘what was it like in the MasterChef kitchen?’ And I say to them, ‘it is the hardest and most stressful thing I had ever done and it was also the most daunting, challenging and fun thing I had ever done’.

I felt alive in the most surreal way with my heart pumping, feeling the need to have a wee every few minutes before going into the kitchen for a cook or for the results.

I am the sort of person who refuses to pay good or even bad money to go on a rollercoaster with the risk of my food coming out of every possible hole in my body. It’s always been one step too far for me.

The MasterChef kitchen gave me the same and perhaps even more excitement and thrill whilst I was doing something that I actually love and enjoy. My blood pumped alright and many times I felt like everything inside of me needed to come out but I left the kitchen everyday full of joy, hope, pride, and a determination to do better during my next cook.

It was a place for continuous improvement, growth and learning which is definitely my passion which has always been to inspire, and continuously improve myself and help others to do so.

My biggest lessons are that we are more capable than we think and we can dig deeper even after we thought we were at our limits. So even when you think something is impossible, hard, risky or perhaps even pointless, listen to your heart and give it a go if it tells you to.

Thanks for reading and sharing my post. See you next week.