Productivity and celebration. Formulation and calamity. Love and abhorrence in full effect. Instincts and impulses acted on gallantly without any hesitation or time for a second thought. A full array of emotions evoked to a level that completely leaps out of our hands and into a mode of thinking and feeling that makes the impossible feel like it's only a single idea away, all from the perfect timing and imbibing of our ritual cup of coffee. Both our childlike wonder and thrilling sense of danger become revived and heightened almost instantly upon ingesting this psychoactive substance in its respective environment and occasion, which then leads us into moods and mindsets that can transmute almost anything into everything. Though, what is the magical root and significance of this beverage? Why is it that since the beginning of time, it has been coffee that has been the most romanticized and cherished among the holistic, thoughtful, passionate, and creative? And most importantly, what is to be done in order to recognize these patterns and allow ourselves to truly maximize the euphoric rush and clarity that this elixir gifts us in these precious moments? We need not focus solely on what this drink symbolizes now and stands for in our generation, but moreover examine its fascinating past and usage, as well as what its vestiges would mean for present times and future implications. In doing so we will be able to understand and appreciate the powers coffee holds not just for humanity as a whole, but what it can mean for each one of us individually.
Let us then consider the use and view of this substance in times of our past and the regard they were held in at one point. There was a time centuries back when the beans, hailing from East Africa and Asia, were first introduced to more advanced parts of the world, specifically England and France. In these times and places of both polarized ideas and age of enlightenment, there were very esoteric coffeehouses, in cities of esteem and importance, that would be inhabited by a very distinct selection of characters. These were the places that would be comprised of writers, teachers, artists, architects, scientists and all the others that were mentally keen. Now, these types of people would frequent these establishments not only to stimulate the best parts of their brains and free their worldly stresses, but because it was only in these places where they would be able to collectively express themselves and their ideas freely in an optimal environment, away from all of the outside noise. Combined with the wave of alertness and optimism brought about by their morning, afternoon, or evening hot bean water, these leading minds could communicate with only those who would be able to reciprocate their ideas and how they would be thinking, what they would be saying and why they would be saying it, whether it was regarding a mutual topic, impactful matter, or a simple notion about the weather that day. While not all of us may make up that same type of crowd and we may all come from varying backgrounds and preferences when it comes to caffeine, the fact of the matter is that we all possess the same ability to share thoughts, ideas, aspirations, backgrounds, stories, and observations when exploiting the beautiful gift that is to be caffeinated. Upon recognizing this, we can form bonds and have experiences that our previously tired, worn down, and quiet versions and personalities would have never been able to, and this is all thanks to our daily ritual turning us into beings of extroversion and action.
After having considered the hundreds of years before us that coffee has watered for so many previous generations, it becomes clear how so many notable individuals from eras before us were able to conquer such unique obstacles and do what many today still marvel at. To have a strong foundation, plan, and reason to survive and grow accompanied by copious amounts of coffee to power each step along the way makes the modernization of our world then seem like less of a chance and if, and more of almost an evolution and when. How many true highlights of your life can you instantly recall where coffee was present? How many triumphs in your history can you immediately remember where you know such success may not have been accomplished had coffee not been coursing through your veins? How many beautiful moments from your past can you still feel on your skin and on the surface of your brain as if they were yesterday, where you know you were enjoying coffee in a certain form while either at peace in your solitude, or among someone very dear to you? To consider all of these questions in only a few brief moments, the brain and body alike may become enveloped in a wave of beautiful memories within an ocean of this magical, dark-colored liquid that we have come to favor and cherish deeply. Each memory that you've considered likely has its own setting and environment in which our beverage was indulged in, though how does this tie in to the significance of the impact our coffee has left on us?
Our chosen environment and atmosphere are everything. The ambiance we design for ourselves designs our senses, where these senses then design our brain and how it will function at any point in time, in turn consequentially dictating our work ethic, creativity, mood, and overall quality of life. With that in mind, consider two scenarios: one where you fix yourself a cup of generic instant in a very modest hotel with the goal in mind to train your body for two hours and then write an educational yet inspiring final chapter of your novel for the whole world to see. Everyone is expecting only the best from you, and they prey on your failure unapologetically. Scenario two takes place in a clean, respectful room equipped with a pour-over and locally sourced beans, art on the walls, a window that provides direct sunlight into your space, and a bowl of crisp fruit to be enjoyed with your freshly brewed cup. You know what the future will expect, and you know exactly how to prepare yourself for it. It is likely that you are to reap greater results and feel better about what you have produced from scenario two. Why is this? Your brain and its fruits will reflect that which it dwells in, so it should be obvious that choosing your environment and perceiving it as the most fitting for triumph is the first step toward both enjoying your coffee and exploiting it as a tool, and not just a temporary boost or relief from your surroundings. To invent one's environment, regardless of affluence, is to determine where the mind will go, how the body will follow, and into what condition you will remain in both the moment and the the events after. After all, what could be more important than this when drinking your coffee other than making sure it's not decaf?
The only other aspect that may prove more crucial than the physical and mental environment in which you have your coffee is, from ample experience, the means of how you perceive your relationship and level of priority with your daily cup(s). Do you find yourself to be a better, more capable being or worker when caffeinated, though able to do fine without it should you have to? Or, do you perceive all of your strength and ability to be completely elusive when coffee is not in your system? Do you not just feel, but really believe, that your entire drive would be meager should you not make it to Starbucks tomorrow morning? Of course, we are generally more of ourselves when we can have our espresso, but this should never be believed to be our source of strength. The fact that our coffee makes us feel like more of ourselves should only prove that what it is doing is only awakening what we already possess, never giving us 'energy'. The actual energy that we are able to garner will come from what we eat, how we sleep, the level of sunlight in which we expose ourselves to, our water intake, our daily association, and the chosen environments that aid in dictating our mood and outlook. All of these factors will contribute to how our coffee will affect our entire self, how potent it will be, how long it'll last, and how we can regard it not as a crutch, but as a tool to utilize responsibly and entirely. We all know what it is like to talk or work with someone who is a slave to their coffee fix, as much as we all know what it's like to be around someone who can coexist with their love of latte, so as both individuals and communities we should all be able to make the adjustments and realizations necessary to embody the latter and rightfully become more of ourselves through our daily intake.
Such a powerful and delicious substance such as coffee was provided to us on a scale that was not meant to merely rely on or enjoy briefly with no meditation on how much it can revolutionize our future and sense of purpose, but rather quite the opposite. Like the oceans among us and the stars above, these mystical beans are everlasting and serve as inspiration from the first generation of humankind to the latest, and display nothing short of an integral piece of the entire puzzle that is life. Without the deep waters that calm our soul, the vast pastures of greenery that provide fruit, vegetation, and livestock, the mountains in the far distance that inspire our love and drive to climb higher, the unending sky above us that instills imagination and placement in the universe, or the mysterious black liquid that unlocks unprecedented levels of wonder and exhilaration, we can hardly yet still live our fleeting lives. However, why on earth would we ever want to deprive ourselves of these virtues? Let us remain completely open and allow every paradigm to shift as we roast our hearts and minds, grind them until fine, and brew an altogether new perspective on life that permits our coffee to be the ultimate guide on our separate paths forward.