Here’s what happened when I achieved mirepoix prosperity

BY MARY-ELIZABETH HARMON
Founding Mother, Chard & Stripes

I was working at Trader Joe’s when a customer approached me, seeming unsure:

“Um…uh…do you guys sell that mix of onions and carrots and…”

I knew she meant mirepoix before she said celery.

“Do you mean meer pwah?” I asked, already sure that’s what she wanted.

“Oh!” she said looking pleased, “Is that how you say it?”

I pointed it out and thought, “That must be nice,” as she walked away, mirepoix in hand:

At $2.99 for a tub that would make about two pots of soup (the way I cook), mirepoix was pricey ‘cause I could make gallons of soup with three dollars’ worth of onions, carrots, and celery I chopped for myself.

Mirepoix was a luxury for folks with means, which didn’t describe me, or so I told myself.

Prosperity—like poverty—is a state of mind, not bank account.
Though I could have bought mirepoix when I wanted, I had the mindset it wasn’t for me.

Fast forward about two years from my mirepoix encounter.

I was a caregiver for my father and had what I call “medical-grade” exhaustion. Something needed to give, but I wasn’t sure what to let drop…until I had a change of mind in Giant supermarket.

I caught a glimpse of mirepoix and jumped straight to my story:

Mirepoix is for folks with money, I thought.

Had I not been so worn out, I would have left the stuff on the shelf.

Instead, I had another thought: F-it, I’m not killing myself to make soup.

Plop! Mirepoix went in my cart, and I haven’t hesitated about getting it since when I want.

In no time, …

I achieved mirepoix prosperity by “doing” a new story: I changed my mind and bought some.

Mirepoix went from a luxury to a necessity for my sanity.

But why is that what it took for me to buy it, especially when I had plenty of my parents’ money?

Wanting mirepoix and being worth it were reason enough for me to have it. And once I became mirepoix prosperous, I questioned other things that I said were beyond my means.

Prosperity grows from a decision to do something different, whether conditions are “right” or not.

I used to dream about having a personal chef waaay in the future when I was rich.

In other words, I was waiting for the “right” condition of financial wealth to put a plan into motion.

But if I could have mirepoix just by deciding so, why not decide to have a personal chef much earlier than I’d imagined when I was poor of mind?

And why not give the idea some thought even though I had a sorry-looking bank balance?

There was no reason and I started thinking.

And by giving myself space to think—from my newly prosperous stance—I got clear on what I wanted:

I didn’t want a personal chef. I wanted healthy meals and liberation from the kitchen. And that was something I could work toward right away by buying spring mix and other “luxuries” that reduced my cooking time.

For you, chopped onions, carrots, and celery may have never seemed like a luxury, but what’s something—within your reach—that you’re not letting yourself have?

And what’s a dream you can decide to achieve sooner rather than later?