Growing up in Southern California I witnessed many brush fires, some that came so close to my home or office that ashes darkened the sky and covered lawns and cars. When the smoke cleared, an ugly black wound was left in the earth. It would remain until the first rains came and with them, the first signs of new life -- bright green shoots vibrant agains the charred ground.

I learned then that while fire destroys, it also restores.

So it's interesting that the term for disillusionment and loss of passion is burnout. While there are many books on how to avoid it, there are also reasons to embrace burnout, one being the opportunity it can bring. If there are seeds that only grow after a fire, then it also stands to reason that there are facets of ourselves that we discover and explore only when "fire" sweeps through our selves. Burnout can be a catalyst for growth.

Certainly one form of burnout is that life-threatening moment that makes us question everything. For Andrew Spurgin, who has spent 31 years in the events industry, the past 13 years of it as Executive Chef of Waters Fine Catering in San Diego, that moment occurred after a serious and frightening motorcycle injury in Mexico left him wondering if spending his life putting on parties (albeit amazing parties) was frivolous.

"It was depressing," he says. "It wasn't as though I'd spent all those years doing this and didn't love it, but I did begin to wonder if I'd been doing all I could with my life. After some time of moping about, a friend pointed out that I had it all wrong -- that I'd been responsible for the most important events in many peoples' lives. It was like a switch turned on in me; an epiphany if you will."

"In this industry," he continues, "We are given tremendous responsibility -- the gift of trust from our clients. From the moment I realized this I chose to not only respect that trust, but to also ensure that I have it every time I do an event. If I don't, I'll end up being micro-managed to death and then I really will wonder what I'm doing."

"I love what I do for a living," He says, "And am always thinking of new ways to do it differently." True to his words, he's introduced many important food philosophies to the catering industry as well as to his own events such as slow food and bringing the farmer to the table through eating locally. In 2000, he and a couple friends began www.passionfish.org to elevate awareness of sustainable seafood. And once a month or so he and a group of San Diego chefs join together to create a "pop-up" restaurant called "Cooks Confab," for a meal that explores a different ingredient to its fullest.

Andrew is proof that "flames of inspiration" is not just a saying. Like fire, the moments of insight that are presented to us can spring from nowhere, burn quickly and leave a mark. When we don't try to control or quelch these flames, when we respect and explore them, they clear away old debris and allow seeds that were dormant to spring forth. And as they come into bloom they mark the next passage of our lives.

Andrew at work.

Favorite Andrewisms...

"I don't know who came up with the phrase the customer is always right, but that's just ridiculous. Most of the time the client is wrong and it's our job to establish rapport as professionals, offering honest, well thought-out advice. You don't get your haircut and say to the stylist, give me the scissors. When the client asks you to give him or her the proverbial scissors, that's when you know you have to take back control."

"Everyone loves to talk about trends. But to me, that's like missing the elephant in the room. You have to find the trend within each client and each event. If it's not the right fit, there is no point in force feeding something to someone they don't want to eat."

"I always ask people to come to the initial concept meeting with some idea of how they want it to go. Some people come armed with folders, photos and lists. Others arrive and don't have a pen."

"Some of the best ideas are those that cost nothing."