D-16 "Chopped"

I've been addicted to a show lately called "Chopped" it's a show on the Food Network which is random because I don't really cook, and I never cared about this channel until very recently and now I can't stop myself. The show is a competition show basically with 4 chefs whom are given ingredients they are unaware of until they open a basket and have to think on their feet as to how to make the best meal using those ingredients. Are the dishes are made by the four different chefs their dishes are tasted and critiqued by 3 judges and whose ever dish is decided by the judges to be the worst is "Chopped" from the competition. Check it out if you get a chance, it's on at night and is pretty crazy entertaining to watch.

The point of me telling you this is because throughout the show the chefs are interviewed as to how they cooked their dishes or what they were thinking in the course cooking it all or how they are feeling after the judges critiques and so on. What I hear a lot while watching the show is "I hope the other chefs screw up bad enough to cover up my mistake..." or "I hope the other chefs have something go horribly wrong to make my job a little easier or to stand out that much more..." That has always bugged me and I'll explain why.

Sure, a thought like that has entered all of our heads at one point or another but I feel like there is a healthier way to go about that thought. Instead of thinking "I hope the other person sucks bad enough that I look great" why not think "I hope everyone does a fantastic job but I do that much better." Why not think "I hope everyone I'm competing against does better than there best, but so do I and THAT'S what gets me the win..."

I feel like if that thought is going through your head during the day whether it's in a sport or at an audition or during a power point presentation or a spelling bee or shooting free throws in P.E. that means when you do a fantastic job and you reap the reward it's that much sweeter. You didn't win by default, you won because you rock! You get the biggest pay off because you did your best and you deserve it. You did your best, so did your competition and now you can go away feeling like a real winner.

I'm going to make it a habit to try and always think that way starting today. Give it a shot. If nothing else hopefully it buys you karma points for the days to come.

Without Wax,

HJ