Be Ready When the Luck Happens
I often see avid readers make mention of the “reading slump” they’re experiencing. They say something like, “I only managed to read five books this month.” Unfortunately, that is not a slump. Let me tell you what a reading slump is—I have managed to finish one book so far this year. I’ve read less than a dozen in the last three years. I’m past the point of safely calling this a slump. It’s more like a new normal. Not ideal.
Cue Ina Garten’s memoir with all of its wonderful whimsy.
This book came as a surprise. I was scrolling social media one day when promo for the new paperback crossed my screen, and something about it caught my eye. I stopped, scrolled back up, and made a note to pick it up from Barnes & Noble the next weekend. I don’t know what compelled me to buy this book. I’m not much of a cook. I know very little about Ina Garten’s career. In fact, I don’t think I even knew her name until I stumbled on a random recipe of hers on Pinterest a few years ago. Still, something pulled me in. If I had to guess, it was the title. But whatever it was, I was desperate to start rebuilding my reading habit so I went with it. I was open to finding inspiration in unlikely places.
Aside from Ina taking us through her life—from childhood to meeting her husband, from traveling Europe to inadvertently launching her food career, from her pivot running the food store in the Hamptons to writing cookbooks—she drops so many nuggets of wisdom that I only know how to describe them, and in fact the whole book, as whimsical. Reading this book made me feel like I was reading letters from a friend—something I’ve learned is part of Ina’s charm.
This is where my norm diverges; what I mean when I say I was open to finding inspiration in unlikely places. I’m used to reading slightly grittier literature. A memoir by a self-taught cook isn’t something I would typically pick up. So yes, I was surprised when I found myself fully invested in Ina’s writing, pleasantly surprised.
Ina’s approach to creative problem solving is inspiring. How willing she is to tackle the next iteration of her life and career, never backing down from a challenge. Like she said in the book, everything is figureoutable—a helpful truism. This book is an antidote to imposter syndrome; a reminder that all it takes is a little gumption.
Little tidbits from this book I intend to hold close:
Jeffrey Garten’s advice to his wife when she was in search of satisfying work.
Another insight from Jeffrey:
“You never know your bad breaks from your good ones.”
“But in France, these little traffic circles are a reminder that life is not about straight lines or the shortest distance between two points. Slow down, they seemed to say, you can take a little twirl and still get exactly where you’re going. Such a nice approach to life.”
“We all need only one person to believe in us.”
the Paris apartment letter, and how it came true:
Ina’s words of advice on “building a brand.”
And finally, “be ready when the luck happens.”
This can be applied to a multitude of things—career, love, exciting adventures and opportunities, even reading. The trick is just to try things, and keep trying them. Have courage. Do your best. Trust your gut. And when the luck happens, be ready.
A perfect summer read, in my opinion.
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