I just recently started drinking coffee. You might find that unremarkable. Coffee is the most widely enjoyed beverage/drug/hobby in the world.

What’s remarkable, or maybe just interesting, is that my behavior change comes after a lifetime of finding the smell, taste and effects of coffee completely unappealing.

I grew up in a coffee household, a coffee culture, and with coffee as the implicitly adored beverage. (I used to joke that the only things holding my mother together were espresso and rage. Not that funny, I know.)

But for me, it was always “No, thank you,” and often, “No way!” I just couldn’t stomach any part of that dark brown liquid.

Then, in my recent quest to bring myself back to optimal health, and in my experimentation with some cutting-edge healing theories, I came across a horde of evidence about the health-enhancing qualities of this popular brew. I decided to give it another try.

Surprisingly, I liked it. I used toxin-free, organic, fair-trade coffee beans, freshly ground, and prepared like a chemistry experiment. My best friend, a long-time coffee aficionado, was horrified at my coffee paraphernalia, and I was forced to upgrade. I’m seriously legit now.

Anyhow, it’s become a part of most of my mornings. Usually with butter mixed in. (It’s called Bulletproof coffee, it’s all the rage, and you should try it. Trust me.)

Sometimes I come across some strongly negative opinion about coffee, and it makes me doubt my decision. Maybe it’s not good for me. Maybe it’s bankrupting my energy systems, which will lead to an unpleasant repayment in the future. Maybe I’m willingly creating an addiction.

It triggers my discomfort with uncertainty. Both sides, equally vehement in their stand (It’s the best! It’s the worst!), play tug-o-war with my mind and emotions.

I am flooded with questions:

How do I know it’s the right thing to do?

How do I know whether my choices are creating health or harm?

How do I know that I’ve taken the right path, and am heading in the right direction?

The Truth:

The only way to know is from inside the experience.

The ‘right’ way rarely reveals itself to the observer instead of the participant.

Life is a series of choices and decisions, often (ALWAYS) made with no guarantees. What is important is that we continue to choose and decide. That we continue to take steps, big or small.

I could spend an eternity contemplating what the best choice would be. OR I could take the riskier position and try something, knowing that I can always change direction once I’ve gotten going.

I can stew and study and ponder about the pros and cons of coffee. Or I can try and test and evaluate the real experience. If needed, once I’m in motion, I can shift. I can course correct.

You can only steer a moving vehicle. Take action. Choose. Begin.

Life isn’t about the perfect path or getting it right. It’s about the moment-to-moment choices we make, and how they add up over time.

You learn decisiveness by deciding.

You learn courage by risking.

You learn progress by doing.

You learn life by living.

Every step you take prepares you for the next.

Some questions for you:

How have you been exercising your ‘choosing’ muscle?

How do you keep yourself moving forward?

How graceful are your course corrections?

I’d love to hear your thoughts about it. Over a cup of coffee, perhaps?

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