one hat at a time

The Chef's tall white hat is a good one to try on when:

• You're in a rut, and what you have to work with looks ordinary and uninteresting
• You've reached a state of mastery, so that you barely notice what you're doing, and the work seems humdrum and "ho-hum."
• You're taking the important people in your life for granted.
• You know what you want to make happen, but you're waiting until you have all the right ingredients.

Potatoes, eggs, lemons, flour - simple in themselves, yet capable of appearing in endless delicious guises. What are the ingredients you have at hand? How can you combine them, cook them, and present them to make a satisfying dish?

Are you focusing only on the calories and carbs? Measurements and abstract qualities have their place, but what do your senses tell you? How would paying attention to the sight, aroma, and taste of the ordinary elements of your life change the way you experience your work, your home, your relationships?

Are you worried about making mistakes or blaming yourself for having messed up a procedure? Why couldn't that goof become a funny family story, an indelible learning, the accidental beginning of something new and wonderful?

Do you feel you have to do it by the book or resent having to do it by the book? What if the recipe is just somebody else's experience, waiting for you to embellish with your own unique touches?

Look around and see the makings of a feast. Bon Appetit!

Personal Success Recipe Contest

In honor of your inner Chef, please send us your unique recipe for success. We'll publish all winning recipes in the next issue and the Grand Prize winner will be awarded a $15 gift certificate for the Hat Shop at www.onehatatatime.com. Here's one to get your creative juices flowing:

Recipe for Personal Magnificence
1 part Leveraging personal strengths and gifts
1 part Accepting and letting go of non- strengths
1 part Inspiring goal
1 part Big vision of personal possibility
1 part Seeing what you already have before you
1 part Choosing wisely from what you have before you
4 parts Willingness to act without complete certainty
6 parts Gratitude for ALL you have
12 parts Selecting the hattitude that will act as a leavening agent

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients together gently, tasting as you go. Adjust seasoning to taste.
2. Mix together with strong belief in the outcome.
3. Sprinkle with additional hattitudes as desired. Flavor will continue to deepen.
4. Continue to stir with thoughts, words and actions for best results.

Yield: Unlimited servings