This Week
Welcome
When I was younger, I was an extremely picky eater. I can remember my mom trying to sneak tofu into meatloaf and camouflage Brussels sprouts with “secret” sauces, all to no avail. If I decided that I wasn’t going to like something, no bribe or promise could get me to open my mouth to even try it. The biggest deterrent for me when it came to food was its texture. It wouldn’t matter if the actual taste was going to be the best experience I had ever had, if the texture was remotely offensive to me, I wasn’t going to have anything to do with it. I actually told my grandmother at one point that I was allergic to apple sauce…I wasn’t impressed with the fact that it felt like I was sucking down baby food. As I have grown out of this weird food issue (for the most part!), I have discovered that there is a vast array of magnificent dishes that I have chosen not to partake in just because of a judgment I made before I even tried them.
I see this same issue rear its ugly head in other areas. We all have aspects of our lives that are affected by judgments that we have made. It might be something trivial, like an aversion to apple sauce, or it might be on a bigger scale, such as a belief we have about another person. More often than not, our snap judgments aren’t based on the full picture, but on a brief moment or exchange with another person…or the texture of food.
There are going to be times when our first inclination is right. I can promise you that I will never be able to handle the texture (or taste!) of Brussels sprouts. However, there will always be opportunities for me to evaluate a situation based on all the facts; which means I have to be willing to take the risk that I might not like the end results. So here is my thought-provoking question of the week: are there areas of your life (how you design a room? or in a potential friendship just waiting to blossom?) where you might be holding back because you have already decided that you aren’t going to like the end result? What if you could be missing out on greatness because you aren’t willing to look past the “texture?” After all, I never would have discovered that New York cheesecake was one of my favorite desserts if I hadn’t been willing to take just one tiny bite. ☺
photo thermador.com
Promise that you would love my Brussel sprouts here! I have made huge leaps from trusting my instinct and I usually hone in on that to be my guide and to tell me to try new things and be open. My one aversion is to colored towels and sheets, all accept for the bright beach towels.
I am working on it.
I’m a pretty picky eater too! I have a harsh judgement on carrotts. yuck! cooked I love them! plain..not for me!
My teenage daughter was never picky when she was young, but now she is growing more picky! Texture seems to be the main issue. I have never liked mushrooms, although I have tried them many different ways. They still taste like dirt to me
I’m working on not making snap judgements at work…keeping an open mind about people.
As for your brussel sprout aversion…I never liked them either until my aunt made them this past thanksgiving: slice in half, toss with olive oil, pepper, and sea salt then roast in the oven until browned. I couldn’t get enough of them! The texture is actually what I liked: the way each layer peeled away as I bit into it…kind of like a mini head of lettuce.
If you are in NY again, come over to Brooklyn and experience Juniors Cheesecake…. unbelievable.
I would never eat brussel sprouts either. Then one day someone made them as Audrey stated above and I tried it – so good.
I think that in decorating, I will over examine a room and if I can’t visualize it, I won’t try it.
My husband has some major food texture issues… I’m always encouraging him to step outside of his box.
What a GREAT and thought provoking post. I could relate to your food and texture issues. To this day I can’t handle onions, tomatoes and turkey stuffing. And I also recognize where I’ve made judgements about things and I know I might be missing out….you’ve left me a lot to ponder. Thanks.
This underlines a huge problem that I have! Quitting before I even begin. Like Beth Moore says, “Hard does not equal bad.” So many things we won’t do or attempt simply because it’ll be hard.
Good blog! It’s good to take a deep breath and move past being uncomfortable and giving things a try.