Excerpt from my journal on November 13th, 2014. Pleased to say I can now cook…miracles DO happen.

“It’s 3:37pm and I’m already dreading making dinner.

I live in a family of wonderful cooks. Mother, Kyla, Kelsey, and even Karaline gain accolades with their domestic skills. Phenomenal salads, gourmet soups, homemade everything, and sometimes even “trim healthy Mama” to boot.

That isn’t to say I can’t cook. I’m the only one in the house who makes gravy, and the only one that makes mashed sweet potatoes that are to die for (But let’s be honest. Can you even mess up sweet potatoes?)

I don’t know where things are. I forget what I’m going to get half way to the pantry. And, I burn things. Me, 100% of the time, food 50% of the time.

You see, when the green beans are burning, it doesn’t dawn on me to grab a hot pad, I just think “the beans are burning! Stop! STOP!” Then, the beans and I are burning. Together.

I just don’t feel comfortable in the kitchen.

But, my dear Mother and domestic queen, decided she didn’t want her daughter to be twenty and an inadequate cook. Thus, I am marked down on the schedule for cooking dinner for our family of thirteen every Tuesday.

This is the first night and I am attempting beef stroganoff. Hopefully, I am better at cooking “stroganoff” than spelling it. (It just took my four tries and a google search.)

The truth is, we don’t like operating where we are uncomfortable. That’s why we need to do it.

The more we put ourselves in uncomfortable situations, the sooner we’ll become comfortable in uncomfortable situations.

That last sentence may sound like semantics, but it’s not. Risks are uncomfortable. Yet those who take risks often become used to that feeling of discomfort, initial fear, or inadequacy. Soon you expect those feelings when you take a risk, and you find yourself being comfortable with those feelings because they’re normal . . . you’re used to experiencing them.

Being a successful person is all about adapting to new things. Being uncomfortable.  

WE NEED TO TAKE RISKS!

I mean, how am I ever going to make the list of “The World’s most Influential Chefs” if I don’t start by being uncomfortable in my own kitchen. How am I ever going to succeed at blogging if I don’t risk publishing a post, or making an uncomfortable guest post request?

Being uncomfortable leads to success.

I’m not saying tie a rope around your neck and sit on a pin-cushion to embrace discomfort. Use judgment, and if you don’t have any, ask counsel of people who do.

What I AM saying, is that those who never get out of bed, never take that job interview, or never run that marathon miss out on life.

Don’t say “no” to a potentially life-changing and life-growing experience because you are scared of being awkward, or making a mistake.

I may burn the stroganoff, I may forget to add the salt, but next time I cook dinner, I’ll be more comfortable in the kitchen. Next time I try something new, I’ll remember my past discomfort and remind myself, “you adapted to cooking, you can adapt to this.”

Nothing good in life comes easy, I hear.

I’m going to go cook up some award winning stroganoff.

Do you want to taste success? What uncomfortable situation are you ready to embrace?”