4 Joyfulness of Spirit

Victoria Do
Biology 1970
Dr. Rash
February 20, 2015
E-Portfolio 4 One essential standard for living is being able to be happy. Happiness can be expressed in many different ways such as enjoying, showing, satisfaction, or pure joy. What I consider bringing me joy in life and making me content is cooking. I believe cooking can be a source of happiness because it can be therapeutic and a way to express your individuality. I became interested in cooking after moving out of my parent’s home and into my own apartment. Since it was my decision to move out, I had to be independent and make ways of taking care of myself without the help of my parents. My first year of college I did not cook much because my roommate always enjoyed cooking in the house and loved sharing his food. Seeing my roommate’s passion for cooking inspired me to start cooking after he moved out. I would watch him in the kitchen and absorb his knowledge and ability. After my roommate moved out, there was not much home cooking. I was getting tired of ready packaged meals and eating out became pricey. So I challenged myself to start cooking and started looking up recipes and asking my family for some tips. After successfully cooking my first meal which was spaghetti, the feeling I had was pure happiness and excitement. I felt accomplished because after all the chopping and seasoning it actually tasted great and everyone loved it. Not only was I happy that I actually made a full meal, but just seeing other people enjoying and complimenting my food is a great feeling of happiness. Cooking has taught me patience, perseverance and to be creative. I make time to cook about three times a week because it is a source of therapy for me. It puts me in a pleasant mood and takes my mind off of things. While cooking can be a hassle or difficult to some people, I feel content while I am cooking because it has made me realize and appreciate all the work that goes into making a meal. Cooking has also taught me how to be truly generous. The smiles and praise of my family and friends is an incredible feeling of happiness. I believe cooking and my desire calling have similar attributes to it. Both cooking and my desire calling involves starting from at a beginning and working your way in achieving the final result. Like cooking, my desire calling to become a dental hygienist involves dedication and working hard to get through the obstacles. With cooking, if you do not first succeed or feel happy about where you are at, the best thing to do is keep practicing until your satisfied.