Friday, September 23, 2011

What's Your Passion?

What's Your Passion?

I attended a networking breakfast recently where a guest presenter asked the group - What are you passionate about? of course so early in the morning (7.30am) he didn't get much response around the table. So he asked who has a job they are passionate about? No-one put their hand up.
He then proceeded to tell us that only 20% of people are passionate about their work. That means four out of five people are working in a job they are not passionate about. Those that are highly successful are clear on their top five passions, they must be the 20%.
We then did a simple exercise from a book called, The Passion Test. A simple yet powerful exercise designed to help you identify and prioritise your life passions. A very interesting exercise to do first thing in the morning with a bunch of strangers in 15 minutes. I had done some of this thought process whilst I have been on my sabbatical. Write down 10 things that would make your life and work ideal cover all areas: career, finances, health, relationships, environment, spiritual, fun.

For me of course food was one of my 10 things, both eating and cooking great food. I have certainly become more passionate about it as I have learnt new skills and spent more time exploring, reading, testing, shopping for and of course eating. Just as well I am equally as passionate about staying fit and healthy!
Not long after this breakfast a friend of mine asked how the cooking classes had been going, and how the job hunting was going. She suggested I should change careers and move into the food industry given my strong interest in cooking. I thought for a moment and said No... I like to eat food other people cook, and cook my food for only a few. I didn't think I was up for such a huge career change. I also thought if I am cooking all the time I would be afraid I'd loose the interest and passion to even do the cooking I do now. But it was an interesting question to ponder.

Perhaps my pushback on changing to the food industry is influenced by a book I am currently reading. The Sorcerer's Apprentices. It is written by Lisa Abend who was one of 30 hand selected experienced chefs who spent 6 months working for free, or just for the experience of working at elBulli restaurant with Ferran Adria in Spain. Ferran is the most famous chef in the world, his elBulli holds three Michelin stars and is a five times winner of the title Best Restaurant in the World. Ferran Adrian is like a rock star of the food industry. An amazing inventive, creative chef who has an amazing passion for food and the whole emotional experience that eating has become.  He sets a high benchmark for himself and others every year. 


He opens his restaurant only for 6 months of the year. Each day of the 6 months he caters to a maximum of 120 diners with a 30 course extravaganza. There is no menu as he designs the 30 courses around each table.  Bookings for the 6 months opening season dissappear in one day. Somewhere between 500,000 and 2 million people apply. His admirers and his detractors frequently refer to Adria as a magician or a sorcerer. Someone who performs alchemy with even the humblest of ingredients.

The chefs, or stagiarires (apprentices in Spanish) work 14 hour days with only a 30 minute break and one meal. They stand still for practically 7 hours a day preparing the best food and learning from the worlds best team.  To be able to put this 6 months stage at elBulli on your CV is a right of passage.

Unfortunately Ferran has now closed his restaurant for up to 2 years to reinvent it.
If you'd like to read a first hand account from some diners at elBulli here is a great blog here from last year. http://www.thecriticalcouple.com/4/post/2010/10/before-the-meal.html

I certainly get the passion of Ferran and his apprentices. I admire their creatively and inventiveness with humble every day ingredients.  I love to experience tasting amazing food, and trying to figure out how they did that.  I certainly do spend more time these days preparing food just so I can eat it, or share it with family and friends.  What I am sure is that I don't want to this to be my work or career.  Perhaps in my next life!

What are your top 10 things you're passionate about?
And what are you doing to make them happen every day?

Enjoy.

Narelle.

Written by Narelle Beurle. To read more - go to: http://firstpour.blogspot.com/

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