GoodFriday: On AI recipes, happiness for ransom, & seeking the person

Happy GoodFriday!

Here’s something I heard, thought, and did this week.

Something I Heard: Holding Happiness for Ransom

“Wisdom is understanding that you don't have to hold your happiness for ransom until some future time when all your problems are solved.

When your to-do list is finally empty.

When your desires get gratified.

When your health is perfect.

When all the news is good.

Whatever your goals in life, the quality of the journey has to become more important than reaching your destination.

You have spent your entire life seeking to arrive some place.

What if this is it.

Actually this is it.

And recognizing this, is meditation.”

Sam Harris, "Moment," Waking Up app

Something I Thought: Looking For The Person

Look for the person behind the mask of behavior.

When someone snaps at you, shows up late, or doesn’t follow through, it’s easy to react to what they did. But behind every action is a human being with a story, struggles, and reasons you may not see. If you can pause, take a breath, and look for the person first, you open the door to understanding, and maybe even connection, instead of conflict.

Something I’m Doing: Reverse Engineering Lunch w/AI

I love a high protein meal, and my go to spot is a local Mexican inspired restaurant called Sharky’s. They make these bomb chicken power plates loaded with nearly 10 ounces of chicken breast.

The problem is, I hate dropping $20 for chicken, rice, and beans.

But I love their chicken.

So, to solve this problem, I took a photo of it and fed it to ChatGPT to see if it could figure out the marinade. In seconds, it broke down the likely ingredients just from the picture: citrus, red wine vinegar, garlic, paprika, cumin, achiote (annatto), or Sazon seasoning. Then it even came up with a DIY recipe I can try at home.

It’s wild to see what kind of tools we have at our fingertips these days. I’ll be testing out the recipe soon — and I’ll let you know if it lives up to the real thing.

Until next week!

-Cameron Harn