Be Ready When the Luck Happens

by Ina Garten

Traffic was a nightmare, parking was impossible, but the suppliers were wonderful. Alleva Dairy, the oldest cheese shop in America, where they made fresh and smoked mozzarella in the basement; Voilà Bakeries, where the buttery scent of croissants was better than any perfume; Bazzini for nuts; Raffetto’s for fresh pasta: New York was a giant smorgasbord of the best foods.

He said that it was bad faith to do something you know you’re not good at, and good faith to do the thing you’re best at doing.

I could link my self-doubt to my childhood, when I felt unseen and unappreciated—there was a lot to unpack there. But Cecily made me realize that the highly critical voice in my head was actually my parents’ voice, not mine. It’s really hard to separate yourself from that voice, but I started telling myself, That’s what my mother would have said. Everything you’ve done has come out better than you could have imagined, so listen to your own voice.

I also learned that it’s important to listen to advice and then decide if it’s true to who you are and what you’re trying to accomplish.