Michael Voltaggio on The Baub Show
I will always and in every way be a fan of Michael Voltaggio. So, in hearing his interview on The Baub Show, I am even more impressed. And, I have never tasted a single bite of his food. I have been in China for 4.5 years. Give me a break. But, he is just greatness.
Check out the article and the photos and to listen to the interview, click on this link.
Do you ever read someones tweet and wish they would explain it? Why did they write it and where were they coming from and what are they trying to tell me? With me, leaving the misunderstood to my own interpretation could be a bit dangerous. I tend to trust the writers perspective to quickly. That is why I immediatedly retweeted this. But, days later I am looking at this quote again and then start wondered why it made me stop and pause in the first place. I shoot first, then looked later. Now, that I have had a chance look, I don’t necessary agree with what Mr. Simmons was saying.
Being connected is great. Being connected to friends, family, the world in general is wonderful. It make us feel alive and part of something greater. Makes us feel like we belong and that others are going through the same thing we are going through and that is great, I agree. But, I don’t necessarily agree that isolation is sickness. Connected (good) versus isolation (bad). You can live in a world connected with others or you can be by your self. Those are the only two options. I don’t believe that. There has to be more to life then just that. Life is not that simple and you don’t just have those two choices and at times there isn’t a choice at all. Life puts you in situations and circumstances and it is up to you do deal with them the best way you know how.
Like, at this moment, I am isolated. I am alone in my room, writing this post. I am in my own head and putting out my own thoughts just to get them out of my head. I am not doing this to share with an audience or to be “connected.” I do it because, this is what I always do. I have stuff to say and I have to speak, but I speak to no one. I don’t have anyone in my life that I can share this stuff with. I am isolated.
But, in my isolation, I am creative. My creativity is energizing. My isolation is granting me permission to indulge in my passion. Indulge without consequence or explanation. My isolation is affording me the opportunity to get somewhere better in my mind, do something better with my heart and spirit, and be something better then what I am. It is not bad, it is not good, it is just the way it is right now and how it has to be in order for me to change and grow.
Now, you could argue that I am not isolated because I am writing to potentially billions of people on the internet. And, someone is readying it and identifying with me, so in that sense, I am not isolated. I am very much connected. (Come on now, no one is readying my blog. But, yet, here I am. Putting it out there anyway.) People are readying it and yes, I hope they can related and hope that they get something out of what I say and it makes them feel better and feel more connected.
But, really what I am trying to say is that in life you are going to go through things. You have to. That is what life is. Experiencing things. Good things and bad things and things that have to identifying characteristics at all. Some times you are going to be connected to people, ideas, places and you are going to belong. And, some times you are not.
But, in those time that you are not and you are able to turn those times into periods of growth in your life, then you are living during those times too. So, don’t look down on those moments, embrace them and see what comes out of them. You might be surprise.
I guess I am not the only one obsessed with my stats. page. Repeat after me, “I do it because I love to write. I do it because I love to write. I do it because I love to write.”
Click here to cast your vote for Michael Voltaggio for best new chef in California – Food and Wine Magazine. He is an amazing and innovative chef. And he is cute, too! 
Photo by Ed Anderson.
Definition of Motivation – The reason or reasons now has for acting or behaving in a particular way.
What motivates you? What gets you out of bed in the morning? What puts a smile on your face? What makes you feel all warm and tingly in side?
Are your motivations internal or external? Do you get motivated by money and power? Or do you find motivation in gaining recognition or respect from others? Do you have an internal trigger that motivates you? When you are motivated, is there a physical manifestations of that motivation of are there mental boost you receive from that motivation? Does the motivation make you happier, stronger, smarter, wittier, bolder or more clever?
What motivates you?
Definition of Inspiration – The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.
What inspires you? What stimulates your heart to feel a certain may? What touches your emotions to act and feel a certain way? What do you see, smell, hear, taste and feel that inspires you? What places have you visited or situations you have been in or people you have meet that inspire you?
What inspires you?
The thing that motivates you and the thing that inspires you the same thing? What if there was one thing in life that not only motivated you, but inspired you? What would you do in order to sustain the feel that it gave you?
I think about my life and all that I had hope to accomplish so far. I find lots of inspiration, but very little motivation. And there in lies the problem. If you have something in your life that cause you to act a certain way and that mentally simulates you to create something, well, I call that living you life.
I am on a journey to discover what that is for me. Asking yourself those questions and I hope you find out what it is that does it for you as well. Once you find out what that thing is that both motivates and inspires you, then be grateful and respect the gift you have been given.
Sydney Aaliyah Michelle 