In a recent book group, we read a small book that showed me a big truth. The way we act doesn’t have to be dependent on what happens around us, but is something that we can change within us. In a year like this, this book is perfect. We can’t change how anything is on the outside of us, but there is a way we could change how we react on the inside. The Coffee Bean by Jon Gordon and Damon West should probably be your next read. If you’re one of those people who say you don’t have time to read – you’re in luck because this one is short and fast and has a super great message. The book starts with “Are you an egg, a carrot, or a coffee bean?” When these three things are in a pot of boiling water the carrot is softened and weakened, the egg is hardened, and the coffee bean, on the other hand, transforms its environment. Which of these are you when your environment gets difficult? If we remember to be like the coffee bean, we can overcome these hard environments and not let them affect us as much because of our power that comes from the inside. My favorite part of the book was when he shared about failure. “Failure is not a definition. It’s just an event. Just because you fail doesn’t mean you are a failure. It’s just a situation to overcome and transform.” It’s so easy to let one thing define you and have it break us but if we remember the story with the coffee bean, we can let it not affect us as much. We can grow from it and become stronger. Although, it is important to remember we can’t be a coffee bean all of the time because we are humans, but if we strive for it, maybe our outlook on life will be just a little bit better. Being a coffee bean affects not only you but everyone around you. I, of course, had to try the ‘experiment’ and reflected on the book as I did it. The carrot softened, the egg hardened, but the coffee bean changed the water. Now that the holidays are around the corner and we’re home with the same family we’ve been with for the last however many months, you can share what you learned about the coffee bean! If you have kids, do the experiment and share how this works. If you don’t live with kids, facetime them and have them experiment at their home. If there’s no kids at all, be like me and just do it – it will give you something to do and will give you something to reflect on. Have you been a coffee bean? How can you be a coffee bean? Most importantly, I strongly suggest reading the book even if you don’t try the fun experiment. You can get this book for literally less than $10 used from Amazon… so why not read something that will impact your life? Share below in the comments what you learned and what stood out to you the most! How are you going to be a coffee bean?
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August 2022
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