How to get what you want

When I was 18 I wrote a list of five things that I wanted.

I wanted to give up speech therapy.

I wanted a boyfriend.

I wanted to be thin.

And I wanted to leave home.

When all those things came true, I wrote a new list.

I want to work in NYC/London. Tick

I want to win an award.  Tick

I want to have a child Tick. Tick. Tick.

Last year’s list is almost ticked off. (Except for one thing: being in nature)

It’s nearly time for a new list.

This is how I do it:

I admit what I really, really want. I write it on a piece of paper and I stick it on a pin-board in the kitchen.

Then I check my actions are in-line with my intentions.  I keep checking for discrepancies.

That’s the hard part.

Have a go.  I’m sure it’ll happen for you. Not quickly and not easily, but in ways you never anticipated. 

Don’t be hard on yourself.  Forgive yourself. Be kind to yourself.

There are good reasons for doing the bad things we do: Ben and Jerry’s Phish food is delicious. Smoking makes us look cool.  Wasting time on Facebook is entertaining.  

But one day, you’ll look at your crumpled-up old list that’s been on your pin board for years and you’ll get it.

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Ottolenghi’s Koshieri:

Ingredients:

300 g green lentils

200 g basmati rice

Splash of sunflower oil

50g vermicelli noodles

400ml chicken stock

½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

4 tablespoons sunflower oil

Three onions sliced thinly

method:

Wash and boil lentils for 25 minutes.

Fry vermicelli in oil till brown. Add rice and mix. Add stock and seasonings. Bring to boil and simmer for 12 minutes.  Cover with tea towel.

Fry onions for 25 minutes. Mix onions, lentils and rice together.