Timi Gustafson, R.D.

One of my favorite movies of all times is “Babette’s Feast.” Essentially, it’s a film about cooking, but that’s like saying the Michael Phelps story is about swimming. Yes, it’s all that – but also so much more.

For those who haven’t had a chance to read the book by Karen Blixen (the author and heroin of “Out of Africa”) or haven’t seen the movie, here’s the story in a nutshell:

Babette has barely escaped with her life from the turmoil of the French Revolution when she arrives at an isolated hamlet on the desolate coast of Denmark. Fortunately, she is taken in as a live-in maid by two sisters who have devoted themselves to religious life and charitable work in their small church that was once founded by their late father. For many years Babette stays in the service of the two sisters – until an unexpected windfall from a lottery ticket offers her a way out.

As it turns out, Babette also has a secret. Before she was forced to flee from the war, she was a celebrated gourmet chef in one of the finest restaurants in all of Paris. She had never revealed her professional background to anyone in the village, but when a dinner party is planned to commemorate the life of the church’s founder, Babette jumps to the chance to show off her skills. Using the money from her lottery winnings, she is able to create an extravagant feast the way she used to in her heyday.

The story ends with Babette being as poor as she was before, having spent everything she had on a single dinner event. Obviously, not a wise decision. And yet, this is the moment when we learn about the soul of an artist and an exceptional human being. Babette does not simply give something for the benefit of others because she is a generous person. Rather, she gives her all, her very best, because as an artist she can’t act in any other way. Many artists feel that way. It doesn’t matter how much they receive in return for their efforts in terms of money and recognition. What counts is that they know their own worth.

You don’t have to be an artist to understand the importance of personal achievements for your self-esteem. It is in fact an essential ingredient for everybody’s health and well-being. Most of my patients who suffer from stress at work do not complain about the workload they have to deal with, but rather the lack of appreciation they get from their colleagues and superiors. It makes them feel unimportant and insignificant. It disconnects them from the meaning and purpose of their work and turns their best efforts into a daily grind. Over time, this absence of self-worth can do serious damage to anyone’s physical and mental health.

Babette, who lost everything she ever achieved as a celebrated chef of a famed restaurant, could only survive as a servant in a small household of little means far away from home because she knew who she was. Instead of feeling humiliated by doing menial work, she kept her identity as an artist intact. When she had the opportunity to show her abilities once more, she did not hold back. When she was done, all that was left for herself was the knowledge that she had done justice to herself as an artist. Nothing else could have made her feel as rich.

That’s why I love this story so much. I’m neither an artist nor an athlete. But whenever I have a chance to do my best, I do it. It’s good for my sense of self-worth and it makes me feel rich too.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun®”, available in bookstores, at http://www.timigustafson.com and at Amazon.com. You can also follow Timi on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/TimiGustafsonRD