Teacoholics

I have always been a coffee drinker. Even in high school I remember having a cup of Folgers instant coffee every morning before leaving the house. In recent years my consumption of the caffeinated nectar has increased significantly to the point that our coffee pot just wasn’t enough to keep me satisfied in the morning and night. Keep in mind that my wife doesn’t drink coffee at all so all the drinking was my doing.

My wife on the other hand likes tea. However, there are few options which she likes to drink so, occasionally, she has gotten board of the herbal options that we have found in the stores. So her consumption varies but still has come nowhere near my partaking of the black bean water.

Things began to shift about a week ago when I gave my wife a little surprise winter gift to try and brighten up a dull day. Actually, it was a few gifts that I had gotten when I previously placed holiday orders for my boss and for my niece and had a little extra credit left. I could tell when she opened them that she didn’t really know how she felt about them and whether she would use them or not. The two infuser mugs and a few bags were her first experience with loose tea.

Admittedly, I had also already stored some tea in the cabinet that was more to my taste. I have occasionally had a cup of tea when the mood struck me but I had not been a regular drinker for over a decade. Seeing her hesitance I knew that the best way to really have her see the difference between fresh loose tea and dried out bags would be to start making it and drinking it myself. The result has led me to drinking more tea in the last week than I had for maybe the rest of the year combined.

The transition in my drinking habits was not lost on my wife and today we decided to head over to Teavana in the King of Prussia Mall after dinner tonight so she could pick out a few flavors of her own (obviously I was a little off in my original selections). While we spent a little bit of money at the store all of it was still less money per ounce than tea bags and completely customizable at home which is perfect for both our budget and our divergent taste preferences.

Within 15 minutes of walking back into the apartment, we each had a cup of tea steeping. My wife has now not just seen the difference but tasted it as well and I have rekindled my appreciation for the variety and flavor that tea has to offer. At this point, it is safe to say that we are both Teacoholics.

 

Two Sides Of The Sign

This week I finally got around to bringing some decorative items to the office. It’s always nice to personalize your space but not something that I have done for some time as nothing seemed to be permanent over the last couple of years. Up until now I have always used my laptop to add a little touch to my space in the form of the background that I selected.

So finally I brought in a few items. Nothing much, just a few things to put on my desk and a coffee mug which is essential now that we have a coffee maker in the kitchen (plus I am certain that no one is going to take my Remington mug). However, the one thing that I brought in to the office and put on my desk is more of a means of motivation rather than decoration.

President Truman was know to have a saying prominently displayed on his desk for all visitors to see. There was a simple slogan painted across the front saying “The buck stops here!” Yes, it has become clichéd since his time in office but it is still something that we should all remember, especially at work. You can give all the excuses you want but in reality the responsibility, the production, the decisions are up to you.

Even if you are not the boss, I’m certainly not, you still have to make the decisions on many things and you have to decide what you can’t make decisions on whether it is because of position, experience, or not having the authority. There is a decision to be made and you are the one that has to make it. Everything else you have to determine what to do, how to do it, or where to delegate it (if appropriate).

The sing serves as my motivation to do the best I can and push through any obstacle or, more importantly, and times of uncertainty or indecisiveness. But it is a sign that also reminds me of family and of a happy time just a few years ago when I purchased it at the Little White House in Key West, Florida. It was the first family vacation that my wife was included in and it was a time that we all enjoyed being down in the heat together for a sweltering week during the summer.

So, in the end, one simple sign can motivate in many ways. Not just to do the best you can at work but also to motivate to succeed at that job so that you can enjoy the times away from the office with family. There are always two sides to every sign.