Hi Friends,
A few days ago, I looked over and saw Shiloh and Trixie sleeping together like this.
At first I laughed because I honestly couldn’t tell which legs belonged to which dog. It looked like a canine version of Twister.
Then something else occurred to me.
They’ve outgrown this bed.
The bed didn’t shrink.
The dogs didn’t do anything wrong.
They’ve simply grown.
They still manage to squeeze themselves into it, but watching them is a little like watching an adult trying to squeeze into their favorite jeans from high school.
Growth has a funny way of making yesterday’s perfect fit feel surprisingly cramped.
And it made me wonder…
How often do we do the same thing?
How often do we keep trying to fit into a version of ourselves that no longer fits?
Sometimes it’s a job.
Sometimes it’s a relationship.
Sometimes it’s a belief.
Sometimes it’s a dream.
Sometimes it’s even an identity we’ve spent years building.
For many years, most people knew me as “the weight loss expert” or “the food addiction authority.”
I’m grateful for that chapter of my life.
I met incredible people.
I learned so much.
And I truly believe I helped many people improve their health.
But over time, something changed.
Not overnight.
Little by little.
My curiosity grew.
My experiences grew.
My heart grew.
Today I’m more interested in helping people truly heal than simply helping them eat well.
I’m fascinated by resilience, purpose, laughter, friendship, grief, hope, creativity, and how we continue living fully when life doesn’t go according to plan.
When I shared that I had started incorporating small amounts of sugar, oil, and salt into my diet, some people were disappointed. Some actually got angry. And some unsubscribed.
They decided I wasn’t the same person they had followed all these years.
I understand that.
But I’ve also realized something.
Pretending to be the person people expect me to be isn’t integrity.
It’s fear.
Sometimes the hardest part of growth isn’t changing.
It’s giving ourselves permission to stop squeezing into an identity we’ve already outgrown.
The truth is, growth always costs us something.
Sometimes it costs certainty.
Sometimes it costs comfort.
Sometimes it even costs relationships or the approval of people we care about.
But staying the same has a cost too.
We don’t get to avoid paying.
We only get to choose which price we’re willing to pay.
Maybe your story has nothing to do with food.
Maybe you’ve outgrown a career.
A relationship.
A role you’ve always played.
Maybe you’re still trying to fit into someone else’s picture of who you’re supposed to be.
If so, maybe it’s not because you’ve failed.
Maybe you’ve simply grown.
Maybe you haven’t become the wrong person.
Maybe you’ve become a bigger one.
Bigger in wisdom.
Bigger in compassion.
Bigger in courage.
And maybe it’s finally time to stop squeezing yourself into a bed that was perfect for the person you used to be.
Sometimes, you just need to get another bed 💞
Love & Growth,
Chef AJ
🐾🦴🐶From The Puppy Files🐾🦴🐶
Speaking of beds, after 6 weeks sleeping on an Aerobed on the floor, we finally got a bed! It took so long because apparently no one in the desert sets up waterbeds, and we’ve slept on one for over 30 years.
The puppies are very happy now and can finally relax!
Shiloh has very short legs, so he loves to get himself up as high as possible.
What I Did For Fun This Week
I made a few more art projects in my glass fusion class.
And believe it or not, I sold my first piece!
I’m working on a new recipe for a healthy vegan copycat version of York Peppermint Patties.
It’s not quite ready for primetime, but I’m getting close…
And no week would be complete without some Vegan Vanilla ice cream from Chef Tanya’s Kitchen.
