Recently, one of my inspiring fellow fellows shared an exciting article on Facebook, and it spurred all sorts of thoughts in my head.
The title could not have been more fascinating: it was about the ways people can live on their own terms. From the title, you would probably expect the article to begin with “Stand for what you believe in”, or “Never give up”. Yet, it was harder. So hard that I felt discouraged after reading the first recommendation. It began with a modest and deceitfully easy “Stop consuming caffeine”.
Unexpected? Completely. Difficult? Absolutely. I have been on and off coffee for a couple of years. “But what’s wrong with coffee?”, you may ask.
First and foremost, coffee is a stimulant. As such, it interferes with the normal [uninterrupted] body functioning and gives a temporary burst of energy and ability to focus – all those things so much needed in the morning. And lunch. Oh, and a couple times during the day to keep oneself awake while writing that endless report. Yet, we have taken coffee from that stimulant place in our diet to the next level and commonized it so that it is not perceived as a stimulant anymore.
And it’s not even tasty. Taste for coffee is an acquired one. Do you remember the first time you tried this dark bitter liquid your parents were sipping with a great relish? And that puzzling feeling of discrepancy between unpleasant taste in your mouth and the joyful faces of your parents? Apparently, appreciation for coffee (or rather its effects) develops over time.
Is not it bemusing how much dependant we became on stimulating ourselves? And why do we need this constant stimulation?