Do it with love

I’ve found it surprisingly entertaining to watch how my life is unfolding. Sometimes we hold on to a clear plan, hoping everything will play out exactly as we imagined. But what about the things that happen serendipitously—the ones that bring unexpected excitement into our lives, or, at times, complete boredom and dullness? I want to talk about the former, because I’m sure you’ve already experienced the latter.

We often have such a clear idea of what we want that it ends up limiting us from trying new things. I think I am a bit of the opposite. I consider myself quite open and enjoy trying things. I find entertainment in what I do and carry enough curiosity to turn even the simplest moment into something fascinating.

Through this, I’ve learned to give myself permission to try something and then let it go if it’s not my piece of pie. That doesn’t mean I shut myself off; instead, I take the chance to learn what I need to learn and store it in the back of my mind.

Recently, I had an experience that touched on the broader scope of my life—my career and what I want to do. I’m doing something I enjoy, but I can’t quite picture myself doing it for the rest of my life. That, to me, is the beauty of trying things, especially when you’re young (as older people love to remind us about what we should do in our 20s). You give yourself the chance to see what does and doesn’t resonate. I think I finally understand what it means to simply try things, even if you end up disliking them—or even if you were sure you’d love them.

That, I suppose, is life. It’s about trying new things, facing the experiences we once feared, and rediscovering others when we’ve become a different version of ourselves with fresh eyes. As we move through different experiences, we start seeing clearly what does and doesn’t reverberate. It’s not about avoiding certain paths, but about finding an inner balance in everything we do.

While talking with my mum, she reminded me of something we tell ourselves every now and then: you create your own grocery list. To this, I’d add that even once you’re in the grocery store, curiosity might lead you to try something new, or a sudden craving might have you picking up a little treat from the shelf. This, in many ways, mirrors how we move through everyday life.

You can see this pattern in different lifestyles. There’s the person with a strict diet who’s afraid to eat anything off-limits in case it throws them off. Then there’s the person who’s so open they lose their sense of control. There are many ways to look at it, but I think a more playful way to “grocery shop” in life is to remember that you don’t need a strict list to stay balanced, nor go to the store with an empty stomach craving all the goods. Once you find that inner balance, you soon realize that you also don’t need luxurious ingredients to make a good meal or restrict yourself from those cravings to enjoy a good treat. But with this, I want to add something I always say when I cook: the most important ingredient is love—and that’s what makes everything taste better.

In retrospect, whatever you’re doing—whether it feels boring or fills you with curiosity—if you add your secret ingredient of love and give it everything you’ve got, it’s bound to taste so much better.

Z.