The Whole Bean and Nothing But The Bean

True coffee aficionados have many advantages in life over those who choose to merely open a can of pre-ground pencil shavings. The very first advantage enjoyed by true coffee lovers is the rich, hearty aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans that greets them with an enticing, “Hello”  as they open the bag. The scent is one that loudly proclaims that life is good and it is ready to be experienced in all its majestic glory. People who take the time to inhale the rich aroma of the beans are the type of people who will take the time to appreciate the drops of dew that adorn the flowers when the morning is young and still, admiring their crystalline beauty, just because it is there for them. They naturally have a greater appreciation for all that is beautiful in our world.

Sure, when you pry the lid back from a cold, lifeless can of coffee it sort of smells like coffee, but the scent doesn’t ignite your imagination or titillate your senses with the promise of pleasures to come. The canned-coffee person lacks that sense of anticipation for the wonders a new day will bring, and is instead stuck with the dread of knowing yet another uninspiring day is about to begin. When canned-coffee people see the morning flowers, all they can think of is that they probably should water them. They don’t experience the wonder that nature has provided them. Coffee or flowers, both are just chores in their otherwise dull, routine existence.  

When you take the time to grind your beans, you show that you are a person who puts thought and care into everything that you do. No matter how trivial the task, you will find a way to put just a small bit of your heart and soul into all you do and make the world a better place in the process.  In taking the time to make something as ordinary as a cup of coffee and turn it into an experience for all to enjoy, you are announcing to the world that average is not acceptable.  You are saying with your actions that you are capable of much more than the daily mediocrity practiced by the masses. You demonstrate a basic faith that will soon be rewarded with a unique dark brew that will tantalize your senses and satisfy some of your deepest desires.  People who grind their beans are just naturally predisposed to excellence in all they do. These people are the creators and innovators in our society. They are the leaders of industry and enrich the lives of all whom they come into contact with.

When you scoop your coffee from the can, you are doing only what is needed to make a hot beverage that, while promising to taste somewhat like a cup of coffee, is often found lacking. It is the bare-minimum mentality that limits these people to middle management lives, living by someone else’s rules in closed-off little cubicles, with little or no hope of breathing fresh air and soaking in the warmth humanity has to offer. These folks, who can’t even muster the minimum amount of motivation necessary to create the soul-enriching experience that only a fine cup of lovingly crafted coffee can bring, will find they have little else to motivate them for the rest of the day.  When all you look to achieve is that initial caffeine fix first thing in the morning, all you can hope to experience is the jitters and possibly a case of heartburn. There is no motivation to excel in that tasteless cup of pond sludge. All you will have is a lifeless, tasteless cup of coffee that couldn’t inspire anyone to strive for greatness. 

Should you choose to put the effort forth to create a work of art poured into a ceramic mug instead of scooping the grounds out of the can, you will find yourself poised for success in all you do. When you experience an aromatic cup of coffee made with beans that have been lovingly handled from the time they were picked from the tree, and specially roasted to create just the right balance of richness with a touch of bitterness, and when you then brew it with a natural artesian spring water to release the beans inherent natural goodness without the taint of manmade chemicals, then, and only then, will you find the desire to not only succeed in this world of ours, but to do so with creativity and vigor.  Those who merely opened the can can’t begin to imagine what greatness they have missed.