What’s on Your Plate?

You don’t microwave all types of dishes. Some dishes will melt if you microwave them—they can’t sustain that heat. Other dishes can hold a lot of food, while some can’t. Every dish is different.

February, 2024. This bowl can hold my favorite food in the whole wide world.

Last semester, I was stressed all the time. I had a busy course load, was constantly in group projects, had two jobs, and was in three clubs. When my grades started declining, I felt stupid. I felt like the stupidest person in the whole wide world. I’m not good enough. I’m an idiot—all that jazz. I told my therapist about it and asked her how I could get smarter because I felt dumb. Maybe there was a cure.

She responded with, “Maybe you’re not dumb. Maybe you just have too much on your plate and it’s reducing your potential.”

I didn’t get it. Everyone around me seemed super cracked. I felt like I was the only one who wasn’t. Why couldn’t I handle what everyone else could handle with ease?

It’s because they have a different type of plate than I do.

Why am I hating myself so much over my dish? I can’t control it; it’s how I was created. The

truth is, my plate can’t hold the same quantity of food as others. But it has other strengths. My dish can handle a lot of pressure, heat, or weight. That makes it special in its own way.

Instead of piling on random food until it spills everywhere and becomes inedible, I need to be more intentional. The best way to use my plate is to fill it with just the right amount of certain foods, so nothing overflows.

August, 2023. This dish held my whole ramen plate with my gross sausages and eggs. The food wasn't really all that great but I used this dish because it could hold a lot of food without spillage. I focused on the quantity of food made here. Not the quality.

We are constantly comparing ourselves to other people. We tell ourselves, If they can do it, why can’t I? But this mindset does two things:

1. It hurts your self-esteem.

2. It doesn’t give the person you’re comparing yourself to enough credit!

They’re built differently, and so are you. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. You don’t need yours to match theirs. Appreciate what you already have and know it’s plenty. Just because someone can do more than you in a certain area doesn’t mean you’re lesser. It might simply mean they’re above average in that category while you’re average. And that’s okay.

This year, I encourage you to be honest with yourself. After I came to terms with my plate size and reduced my load by choosing to limit my commitments, I’ve been much happier. I’ve been producing higher-quality work instead of half-assed, barely thought-through stuff that doesn’t contribute to anything. I’ve already started making the impact I’ve wanted to make because I finally have enough energy and plate space to do so.

Accept your plate size. Learn to work with it and love it. Take good care of it, and don’t let it crack.

Dessert Oasis, 2023. Look at how small this plate and spoon are but how perfect they are for this slice of cheesecake!