A High Altitude Life

 

Our youngest son has a real tough job.  He gets to travel the world sourcing coffee for his company.  We were talking recently about a trip to Brazil.  He had sent pictures of rows and rows of coffee trees, like rows of corn in Iowa, as far as you could see.  I asked him about the quality of these beans.

Here is what he said…. “A coffee bean growing at higher altitudes takes months longer to produce than coffee grown at lower elevations. Coffee at lower elevations are found in larger plantations, easily grown and harvested, but at a low quality.  This type of coffee gets shipped constantly by the container load and are sent to markets that are looking to fulfill volumes quickly and constantly.  It fulfills a need for the mass consumer, but its’ substance is basic and often bland.

The best coffee in the world grows at high altitudes.  Coffee grown at a high altitude has to fight to survive.  It struggles and works hard to grow because its’ environment makes it difficult for growth.  The air is thinner, the climate is more complex, the elements provide more challenges.  The harvest is difficult and the yield is often low, everyone, including the farmer struggles to maintain it.  But if successful in its survival, the flavor is immensely better and more complex.  It becomes a valuable and highly sought-after commodity that is unique and interesting…”

The life lessons here are so numerous I hardly know where to begin. So how about this—-do you want to be bland or flavorful?  Do you want to be basic or complex and unique?  Our culture is shaping us, leading to conforming us– basic, bland….championing a sameness lest there be anybody offended.  And this way is easy.  Just fit it.  Avoid hard things.  Read the same literature.  Ride the surf of the internet, but do not be fooled into thinking that access to all the information we have today leads to uniqueness in a person’s life.

To build a life that has quality, complexity, and is sought after is always formed at “high altitude”.  The fight to survive and thrive is a daily struggle.  The elements push back.  The climate resists.  But when rooted, the harvest is a good life, highly sought, unique and impactful in our world.

Here are a couple of things to consider to prepare for the harvest of a good life:

Spend time thinking about what you are reading, evaluating daily experiences for growth and productivity for it is the “thin air” in our world.  Not many exercise the discipline of meditation.  It is in these times of quiet, thoughtful musings that we begin to develop our complexity, our uniqueness. Ideas are sorted. Plans are formed. Knowledge becomes wisdom in the quiet wrestling in our minds.

Shorten your screen time.  The Power of Agency is a new book by Paul Napper and Anthony Rao.  Their science-backed approach to living is presented in 7 principles, the first, and foundational being A Clear Head.  Here are a few of their tips in preparing your mind for some serious, life-changing habits that will enhance your existence:

-Don’t have your social media feeds open all day.  Set a specific time each day to catch up with friends.

-Weed out and eliminate social media apps you don’t use or really need.

-Kill the screens when socializing.  Cell phones draw our brains away from quality human contact and interactions.

-Say no more often and decline more invites or participation on sites, and opt out of irrelevant webinars, group lists, email lists, and unnecessary updates.

In short, begin to take back your life….for life is far too short.  Begin to develop the uniqueness that is you.  Do not be like everyone else.  Refuse be afraid of the hard things.  Say no to the status quo that shouts through the screens of social media.  Think about it—the people you most admire are unique, creative, and characters that are unforgettable.  And they were grown in high altitudes….