Look for Heroes to Boost Your Dream Stamina

Last updated on March 28th, 2024 at 04:10 pm

I’ve been soul-searching and making changes while working on my culinary dreams.

Soul-searching can be difficult because you have to face yourself and listen to your inner voice (which knows what’s best for you more than anyone on this planet).

I’ve figured out that if you really want to succeed at your big dream or find happiness, you have to look at how you have contributed to your life and the people who no longer serve your “highest and best purpose” on this planet. They are usually the people getting in the way of your dream.

Doing the unfamiliar will ultimately force you to deal with your own self-imposed, self-sabotaging dream limits, too — so it isn’t “all of them.”

Lately, the negatively programmed part of me has been over-sharing its worries about everything, and unfortunately, I’ve been listening too much. The healthier part of me doesn’t seem to understand why I am thinking this way, so it allows my sadness, uncertainty, and fear to seep through and make a home at my core.

It’s interesting what happens while on this dream journey when you start feeling sorry for yourself–the universe will slap you hard upside my head and show you that you are being a fool.

Which it did, when . . .

I met a new hero.

I’d gone to a coffeehouse to meet a friend so we could “talk.”   We parted ways some time ago and were both ready to talk and (hopefully) continue our past friendship.  I felt a bit emotional because of the limits I’d been putting on myself lately.

As we were standing outside talking, we noticed a man sitting two tables away from us.  He was enjoying his coffee and a muffin but seemed to struggle. His movements appeared slow and awkward.

I found myself feeling sorry for him.

My friend and I continued to talk until she said, “I met a guy. His name is Charlie Brown.”   We laughed. This man, two tables from us, tapped on his table. We looked his way. He was smiling, and saliva poured from his mouth. He picked up his towel and wiped his face clean.

We asked, “Are you Charlie Brown?”  He picked up a smart pad, pointed to a name at the top, and pointed to himself. He proceeded inside the coffeehouse, unsteady on his feet, drooling, and unable to open the door.

By this time, we couldn’t take our eyes off of him.

He went inside the coffeehouse, and I stared at my friend silently. Tears welled in my eyes, and I said, “What a strong will.  Do you think he had a stroke?”  She agreed, and we waited for him to return.

When he returned to his table, he tried putting two items in his backpack. This took about 10 minutes.   I wanted to get up and help him, but I felt he would be insulted. He started putting his backpack on, then looked up at me. I got up and helped him get his arm through one strap.

The other arm was a challenge because it was rigid and deformed. We managed to get the backpack on, and he didn’t look the least bit frustrated or tired. He motioned to the clips that needed to be fastened around his body, and I followed his lead.

He then pointed to a Camelbak water pack with a drinking tube.

That’s when I noticed the bike helmet and the bike.

I thought, “Dear God, how will this man ride a bike?” There I was, already putting limits on someone’s dreams, thank you, negatively programmed part of me.

I got his water pack, attached it to his backpack, and secured the tube for him to drink. He looked me straight in the eye. His eyes were clear and full of love, spirit, and gratitude. He drooled, and I picked up the towel and wiped his mouth.

We got his bike into an open space for him, and my friend walked towards the bike next to him. We all just stood there–him smiling at us and clapping at his excitement to get on his transportation and ride like a Freebird. I imagine I looked like a dumb-ass. I felt foolish, but then I became grateful to have met such a person, which turned into empowerment.

I looked up as he pointed to his race number, “Aids Ride.” He then lifted his bike pants to reveal his tan line.  He gave a “thumbs-up” and effortlessly rode off.

Tears poured from my face.

I don’t know who that man was, but he is now one of my heroes. That day, he was sent to sit two tables away from me to boost my confidence and dream stamina. I don’t feel sorry for him, and I don’t feel sorry for myself.

He revealed that I have no limits—only the ones I set for myself. He’s the living, breathing example of how far I mentally need to go to make my dreams come true. There he was, against all odds, clearly living his life to the fullest—no matter how difficult it was for him. And he was happy, too.

I learned a big lesson that day.

All dreamers experience obstacles, deflated self-confidence, burnout, and fatigue. As a professional chef,  the culinary industry alone makes you want to sleep away your waking hours and just forget about it.

When your dream is kicking your butt, and you think it’s time to have a pity party: find a hero. Someone, anyone–living or dead.  Look for people on the street while you half-consciously run your errands. Look for life trying to answer you through your everyday encounters. Chances are, the universe will be sending a messenger.  Hear it, would ya’?

This week’s recipe is for the hero inside of every one of us. This is for when you are too busy to stop eating because you are out being the hero in your life.  Take this with you to keep you energized while you put on your cape.

And remember to look for the hero inside yourself.

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Rosemary Chicken Salad

• 4- 6 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 long and strong sprigs of fresh rosemary
• olive oil
• salt
• black pepper
• mayonnaise
• 1-2 ribs of celery, chopped fine but still chunky
• a  handful of walnut pieces
• 1/2 stick butter
• brown sugar

Put rosemary sprigs through the middle of the chicken breasts. Put the chicken in a baking dish, drizzle olive oil, salt, and pepper it. Bake at 400 degrees until the internal temperature on an instant-read meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.

Remove chicken breasts from the baking pan, but reserve the juices. Heat a skillet on low heat. Melt butter and add brown sugar until a smooth, flowing paste forms.

Add walnuts. Coat the walnuts and roast them in the skillet, watching them not burn. Once you can smell them, turn off the fire and stir the walnut mixture a few times. When the chicken is cool, pull out rosemary sprigs and chop them into rough, smallish chunks.

Add chicken, celery, and pan juices to a bowl. Add walnut mixture according to your preference for sweetness. Add a bit of mayonnaise, salt, and pepper and stir. Taste and adjust as needed.

Put the chicken salad on a tortilla or a lettuce leaf and roll it into a wrap. If you are using a tortilla, cut it in half on a diagonal. You can also eat this with crackers, stuffed in an avocado, on any type of bread, or alone.

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Maria Vieages is a self-employed private chef living in the best of both worlds: California Wine Country and The Big Easy in New Orleans, Louisiana.