It started with an irredeemable cup of coffee. How should we handle small things that have the ability to subtly change the color of our day?
Life is too short for bad coffee.
The phrase that could serve as a marketing slogan, a meme, or on a ubiquitous print in a home décor store next to the latest equivalent of “Live, Laugh, Love.”
Alas, this phrase left my mouth in the most fitting of ways. By drinking, you guessed it, coffee. The segment of the population that consider themselves coffee drinkers is divided into two distinct subgroups. Subgroup number one drinks the same kind of coffee, made the exact same way, every single day. Clearly, these are the “just the facts ma’am” type of people. Subgroup number two, on the other hand, diversifies their portfolio on a pretty regular basis. One day it is coffee from Guatemala, or Brazil, or Ethiopia, or Uganda, or Vietnam, or…you get the picture. Variety is the spice of life for this subgroup.
Admittedly I belong to subgroup number two. While I thoroughly understand the need to be a creature of habit, I diverge from this proclivity when coffee is involved.
One morning coffee was made. And going in for that first sip left me wanting more. As in, wanting more of the coffee we consumed and obliterated the day before. Because this…this monstrosity of a bag--could not, should not, be called coffee. Ugh, the taste. A month of Mondays would have tasted better.
But money had exchanged hands for this bag of nettles taking up space on the kitchen counter. A desire to not be wasteful compounded the issue.
Could I continue to drink not only this cup, but many more cups until the last vestiges of this abomination left the premises?
An existential question, to be sure.
I faithfully managed to make it through half a cup. Staring down that bag like a western showdown, with birds screeching and a tumbleweed passing by, the plot was coming to a head. This town (ok, house) was not big enough for the both of us.
Sheer, unadulterated honesty was required. I looked at my husband and said, “Life is too short for bad coffee.”
The next morning, the bag was gone. Taken out by a husband who joined forces with his wife in agreeing that yes, life is too short for bad coffee. An unopened but trusted replacement sat with open arms, more akin to it holding a boombox in the air playing the song “In Your Eyes” (yes, you know the ‘80s movie I’m referencing).
Let me bring it home, because as much as this is a whimsical retelling of a moment in time, that is not the sole point.
We all deal with a myriad of small things on an ongoing basis. Those small things carry the potential for irritation, inconvenience, or annoyance. Bad coffee, clutter on the counter, spoiled fruit, that app notification sound you detest, you name it…they are so minor and yet have the potential to ever so slightly change the trajectory or color of our day. The transition from indigo to violet is slight, but it exists.
Life is too short for [insert word here].
Handle it. Clear it. Move it. Change it. Organize it. Delete it. Replace it. Upcycle it. Recycle it. Compost it. Throw it away.
Whatever you need to do, do it.
These minor disturbances are not worth keeping as the status quo. An individual disturbance may not seem like much, but taken as a whole, they are the largest predeterminate factors into the quality of your daily life. Take the time for a simple modification and (poof) the detractors turn into contributors.
That annoying app notification--it only takes a minute to change it to a pleasing tone.
The slowly spoiling fruit—just slide it into the garbage can and remove it from your line of sight.
Clutter on the counter—distribute it and put something in its place to deter future accumulation.
Hate getting gas in the morning—change your habit and stop on the way home.
Always in a morning rush—the night before lay out your clothes, prep the coffee, make your lunch.
A truly dreadful cup of coffee—throw it out. Seriously, just throw it out.
Get back to living life on your terms and handle the small things that even on a molecular level, serve no purpose but to get in the way. Life is meant to be lived, enjoyed, and it is too short to be anything but.
Transitioning from indigo to violet should be a conscious choice, without influence from bad coffee.
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