Book of the Week: "The Coffee Bean" by Jon Gordon

The Coffee Bean.

It's simple book about a simple concept. And the fifth Jon Gordon book I've read in the past 13 months. The other four have been some of his best-sellers such as The Energy Bus, The No Complaining Rule, The Hard Hat, and The Shark and The Goldfish. 

Written along with former drug addict turned motivational speaker, Damon West, the pair discuss an issue of importance in today's ever connected world. 

We currently live in a world that is more connected through social media than at any other time in history. It's both a good thing and a bad thing. The good part is we can keep in touch with friends and family we may not see on an everyday basis; the bad thing is it has become increasingly negative, thus raises anxiety levels of the society. (Social media is great at doing this.) 

Using the example of a carrot, an egg and a coffee bean and each one's reaction when placed in boiling, hot water, it is analogous to our every day lives and the stressors and challenges we face. 

When you put a carrot in water, it softens. Life's "carrots," when they endure challenges they become weaker. An egg is just the opposite when it comes into contact with hot water, it hardens. The "eggs" in life become angry, resentful, and mean when encountering stress. You don't want to be either one of those. 

But what about the coffee bean? Well, the coffee bean when it comes into contact with boiling water, it transforms. It, eventually, turns into coffee. 

That's what you should be in life. Be a coffee bean. Transform to the environment, grow from the failure you have endured; don't be weakened or hardened by it. As the saying goes "life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." You can be a carrot and give up; an egg and become hard and close yourself off; or you can be the coffee bean and accept what happened and figure out your next steps. (A certain former softball coach I worked with had a term for this: #FITFO.) 

So exactly what are you? 

A carrot, an egg or a coffee bean. It's your choice.