20 Raw Realities of the Kitchen
Reality 1- Food service is more about people than it is about food.
What we serve matters—but how we treat others matters more.
Reality 2- Addiction doesn’t discriminate.
You can be talented, loved, and successful—and still be in pain.
Reality 3- The kitchen reflects your character.
Your team will adopt your energy—good or bad.
Reality 4- Grief will knock the wind out of you—but it can also clear a path.
Loss can bury us or break us open. Sometimes both.
Reality 5- Silence is comfortable, but connection is healing.
Isolation feels safe until it starts to rot you from the inside.
Reality 6- You can be strong and still need help.
Asking for support isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom.
Reality 7- Not everyone will understand your path. That’s okay.
Live it anyway. Loudly, quietly, honestly—just live it.
Reality 8- Sobriety isn’t a finish line.
It’s a choice you make every single day.
Reality 9- Burnout is not a badge of honor.
If you don’t rest, life will make you rest.
Reality 10- The mirror lies when you hate yourself.
Healing begins when you start talking back to that voice.
Reality 11- Old habits die hard—but they can die.
You just have to want change more than comfort.
Reality 12- Creativity is therapy.
Writing, painting, rapping, cooking—each one is a way to breathe.
Reality 13- Being honest about your struggle gives others permission to be honest about theirs.
That’s how we heal—together.
Reality 14- Forgiveness frees you, not them.
Whether it’s your father, your past, or yourself—let it go.
Reality 15- Body image is a battleground, but change is possible.
You can lose the weight, gain strength, and still carry emotional scars. Keep going.
Reality 16- Not everyone needs to know your business—but someone should.
Hiding is what pain wants you to do.
Reality 17- You can be a chef, an artist, a leader, and a work in progress—all at once.
You don’t have to fit into one box.
Reality 18- Sobriety isn’t about what you lose—it’s about what you finally get to build.
Life beyond the bottle is wider than you imagined.
Reality 19- Your story is yours.
Share it. Own it. Don’t let shame be louder than your truth.
Reality 20- You don’t need permission to start.
Wherever you are, however far you’ve fallen—it’s not too late.
