I just finished watching the latest beautiful episodes of Chef’s Table – Legends. As always, they are remarkably well-done featuring stories about Jamie Oliver, Jose Andres, Alice Waters, and Thomas Keller. Although the food photography and storyline about each chef’s prowess behind the range are wonderful, it was the way that each has made a difference that justifies them as legends in life. It made me pause again to think about that big question we all have: “Why am I here?” It would be difficult to find a successful chef who doesn’t want to make a difference, to (as Steve Jobs once said) make a dent in the universe, to find their purpose.

Certainly, cooking incredible food, satisfying guests, and operating a successful business could fill the role of making a difference, but these four chefs, and thousands of others, seek to go beyond the obvious and find a way to use their talents for an even better good.

I have long touted the importance of “breaking bread” and using our skill as cooks to communicate at a different level with people who may agree or disagree with us, but who can find common ground over a well-prepared plate of food. I understand restaurants and those who work in them have the power to change the eating habits of many, to bring people together, and to even heal the wounds that disagreement can foster.

As we reach those immediate professional goals in life of position, financial solvency, and brand, it becomes very important to pause and think about that dent in the universe that you inherently want to make. Jamie Oliver took his flash in the pan fame and made enormous strides in changing the school lunch programs in England and in the U.S. Jose Andres, through his World Central Kitchen has fed millions of those in need after countless disasters, organized people to help their own, and brought a smile to faces of so many who had lost hope and brought a level of hope when they need it the most. Thomas Keller found his destiny in helping young cooks learn and grow so that they too might elevate the way that people cook and eat. And Alice Waters helped us all to see that connection with the source: farmers, fishermen, ranchers, bakers, cheesemakers, and the like helps to build a proper ecosystem for eating well and reaching towards wellbeing. Yes, they are accomplished chefs and restaurateurs, but their legacy goes beyond that. They use their skills, their restaurants, and their brand to address a greater cause.

So, I ask myself and you as well: what will be your legacy? How will you use your skill, and the craft of cooking, to make that dent in the universe? Here are some thoughts:

[]       FOOD AS DIPLOMAT: No matter people’s differences – whether neighbor, family, or friend, co-worker, politician, employer, business rival, person of different belief, or mortal enemy – we can all agree on a delicious, beautiful plate of food. Food is the great equalizer that can calm the situation at hand, temper conversations, soften discontent, and set the stage for a smile, recognition, and even compromise. Food and cooking may be the ticket to diplomacy. How can you use the diplomacy of food to make your dent?

[]       FOOD AS A NURTURER: Food, to many, is a friend when personal worlds seem to head in the wrong direction. Food turns frowns to smiles, angst to acceptance, anger to openness, stress to calm, weakness to strength, and fear to hope. From our earliest days of life – food has been a friend and a consistent nurturer. How can you adopt food as nurturer to make a difference?

[]       FILLING EMPTY STOMACHS: Abraham Maslow recognized survival as the first step to motivation. Survival includes food, shelter, and clothing – without sufficient provision of the triad of needs, motivation is nearly impossible. How can you, as a chef, cook, or restaurateur embrace your ability to feed those in need with wholesome, well-prepared, delicious food and help to create a baseline for personal motivation? Could this be your purpose?

[]       RESPECTING THE ECO-SYSTEM: Our role as chefs does not begin and end with the skills of cooking. We are part of an eco-system that includes those who grow, fish, raise, and produce the ingredients we use and those who trust in our ability to teach them about the environment that surrounds good food. How can you become a more proactive ambassador and engaged member of the food eco-system and in turn, make a difference? Ahhh…wouldn’t this be a perfect way to make a dent?

[]       ACCESSIBILITY TO GOOD FOOD AND GREAT COOKING: Good food, as Alice Waters proclaims, should not be a luxury for a few, but rather accessible to all from school age children to every adult – teenager to retiree, regardless of their socio-economic status. How will you help to bring fresh, well-prepared food to the tables of all people? How can this become your legacy?

[]       FOOD AND EDUCATION: Whether it’s your intent or not, as a chef or restaurateur you are a teacher of others. You have a responsibility to educate others about the source of food, what differentiates healthy from less than ideal, how to properly handle and prepare food that is safe, beautiful, and tasty, and even present the history behind ingredients and preparations. Food knowledge equals better consumers. How might you use your knowledge of food and the joy of cooking to enhance the lives of others? This would be such a gift and an incredible way to make your mark.

[]       MENTORING THE NEXT GENERATION: Finally, there is no greater joy or more significant responsibility for a chef than to help to mentor the next generation of cooks. We have an opportunity and maybe a responsibility to pass it forward, to preserve the traditions, teach the technique, train for competence, build confidence, and pass on what we know to the next generation of professional cooks. How might you keep the magic alive and leave a positive mark on the next generation of cooks who will appreciate what came before and move the business of food forward in the future? Could this become your way to truly make a difference?

Whether you are on your way to the pinnacle of your career or feel that you are there – at some point it’s about more than your personal accomplishments – it’s will be about how you moved the needle and made a difference for others. How will you do that?

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

“Work Hard and be Kind” – Dick Cattani

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