POSITIVE AFFIRMATION
"Today I might look like I’m zoning out but I’m really just being part of the moment."
Why Coffee & Contemplation is Crucial
A funny scene from Stranger Things that emphasizes mornings are for coffee and contemplation.
Well, mornings for me have been about coffee and meditation. I’ve written about how keystone habits are a gamechanger in my day… if I do them.
A lesson from meditation that has been a total game changer for me during the stressful moments of being a new dad and dealing with the uncovering of past traumas has been this:
“There’s a beginning and end to every emotion.”
Real quick, fun coffee fact: Research suggests that anywhere from two to five cups of coffee per day are also associated with a reduction in cardiovascular disease, Parkinson’s, and certain cancers.
Now take a moment and think about any big emotion you’ve had recently, happy or sad or anything. When you think back on it, the emotion obviously had a starting point and an ending. We may not have been aware of the exact moments, but it happened. It stands to reason that the next time you are feeling sad, realize that that emotion too will eventually end.
Another coffee fact: According to research, coffee may also help support the fat-burning process. In the study, drinking caffeine 30 minutes before aerobic exercise increased fat oxidation by 11 percent when consumed in the morning and by 13 percent in the afternoon.
So what’s the big deal about emotions having a beginning and end? When you’re in one of those tough moments, it could help you get through it. The simple realization that, yes, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. If you’re arguing with your loved one or under immense pressure at work, know that the pain will stop eventually. You’ve gotten thru it before, and you’ll get thru it again.
About coffee: Chronic coffee consumption is associated with improved endothelial function in elderly subjects, providing a new connection between nutrition and vascular health.
TAKEAWAY
We pursue excellence in what we do, through productivity and positivity. That means we’ll encounter tough situations and that this specific meditation technique of being aware that every emotion has a start and end can help us get through… and maybe even appreciate them.
Another takeaway is that a review of 21 studies found that caffeine is the champion of performance-enhancing benefits. ;)
(persuasions)
➩ Yuval Noah Harari wrote the wear-your-big-pants-book 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, a NYT bestseller described as, “In Sapiens, he explored our past. In Homo Deus, he looked to our future. Now, one of the most innovative thinkers on the planet turns to the present to make sense of today's most pressing issues.” Spoiler alert, by the end, his big life advice to the human race is to - you guessed it - meditate. If he’s researched literally all of human history and this is what he’s concluded, sounds pretty powerful to me.
➩ What You Get from 365 Days of Meditation and What I Learned From My 3rd Year of Daily Meditation
➩ The only reason I knew of, “Coffee & Contemplation” is from one of my fav songs by Nic Howell.