This blog is dedicated to finding, sharing and discussing a variety of topics around the struggles our clients and audience go through. Each episode we discuss a key concept that many humans struggle with. To give you a variety of perspectives for you to see the concept through so you can find one that makes it feel easier to deal with.
And if you prefer to listen, this episode is available as a Podcast or a Video.
Let Me Tell You A Story…
Instead of my usual blog posts with lots of information for you to read and use in your life, today I want to tell you a story. And this story is also being written / read / told live every Tuesday and Thursday at 8:30pm GMT on (hopefully!) YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn between 12th November and 24th December. Click these links to subscribe and join us for the next instalment!
Stories have been used for centuries to share wisdom and ideas within our species. And this idea for this particular story came to me a few months ago as a way of sharing some new ideas with people that can improve their life.
I find stories are the best way to get a message across. It is why we like to read books, watch TV series and films. Because stories are a great way to share a message by inviting the reader / watcher / listener to be a part of the story. To become the character in their imagination.
And that’s what this story will do. It will invite you to become the main character, Morgan, and become the hero / heroine of the story!
There will 13 chapters and this will constitute the first draft of this story before I send it to publishers and become a published author. Which has always been a dream of mine! So thankyou to you for joining me and holding me to account to get this planned, written, shared, edited and finally published! Without you, I would probably let myself off the hook (like I have effectively been doing all year since the idea came to me!) and this would never get done.
So I hope you enjoy these 13 blog posts, and if you want to send me any ideas or ask any questions to guide the story or to make it make more sense to you, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I look forward to hearing your thoughts, but for now let us dive straight in…
Read Chapter One HERE.
Chapter Two is HERE.
See Chapter Three HERE.
CHAPTER FOUR– An Awareness Of Infinite
I’ve had a couple of realisations as I am lying in bed on this sunny looking Sunday morning. It’s just gone 8am and the sunshine is streaming in around the edges of the curtains on my bedroom window.
The last couple of days have been really good. Like REALLY good!
I am lying here wide-awake replaying both days in my mind. Yes, Friday started really badly… The soggy socks from that wobbly paving slab. The still unknown outcome of the company announcement. Feeling generally bleh after waking up tired as I do most mornings. But it got better! Usually when my days start like that, they stay like that. Dinner goes down my top. Stubbed toes. Spilled hot drinks. A sideways comment from a colleague… Do you have days like that? And don’t even get me started on what toothpaste does on those days!
So Friday was a good day in the end. I got a lot done towards my deadlines and because the aerial was broken for the TV, I had time to read through those emails about the webinar and get some things done to prepare for it.
Then Saturday morning was the best Saturday I’ve had in years! Got all my admin done. Had a lovely walk and managed to avoid every single wobbly paving slab – maybe I should daydream more often when I’m walking! And that webinar has really given me some things to think about!
Like, the completely random, spur of the moment coffee shop job application. What was I thinking there? I know I currently don’t do anything much on the weekends. But if I have a second job will I even have time to sort the washing or relax and recharge ready for the day job during the week?
Wait… Why am I thinking like that?
Yesterday I was so excited to be working with the coffee shop owner. So inspired by their story. But now I am thinking about backing out? That goes against everything I read in the book last night before I finally fell asleep!
Should I still go to the coffee shop for my trial? Well, I at least have to go and tell them its not for me and that yesterday was a bit of a blip in my personality! It’s only right to let them know. But I could really do with that extra money… And it won’t impact my other job in any way at all. And it definitely won’t impact my weekend activities now that I am single again!
I’m going regardless. They said arrive at 10 so I better get up and sorted.
Usual morning routine, then I sit at the table with breakfast and a hot drink and read a bit more of Jen Sincero’s book,
You Are A Badass.
“As British philosophical writer and self-help pioneer, James Allen, states in the quote that opens this chapter, “Mind is the master power that moulds and makes, -and Man is Mind….” – we are the very thinking substance that was used to create us. Hello?! How major is that?!
This is why positive thinking is all the rage and negative subconscious beliefs are so gnarly and why meditation, and learning to guide your thoughts and love yourself, can change your life.
Our thoughts are the most powerful tools we’ve got.
I think, therefore, I can create awesomeness. Or horrendousness. But the bottom line is that it’s through our thoughts that we create our realities.
It’s also why buying into whatever illusion you’re living in in the present moment is selling yourself so short if it’s anything less than what you truly desire. You created the reality you now exist in with your thoughts, which means you can use the very same power of thought to change it. As Wallace Wattles, author of The Science of Getting Rich, so brilliantly states:
To think what you want to think is to think the truth, regardless of appearances.
To think what you want to think is to think truth – is that not the best news ever? It doesn’t matter what your reality looks like at the moment, because where you desire to be is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and if you fixate your mind on this truth, believe that it is real and already here, and take decisive action, it will manifest itself.”
Woah… Again, I’m hearing that it is my thinking that creates my reality, and I guess that means that my eyes are either lying to me or they are giving me images that I am not translating accurately in my mind.
The next paragraph makes me laugh out loud as I keep reading.
“This is where most people dig in their heels and say something like, ‘I am sitting in my ghetto-ass kitchen eating tuna out of a can with a plastic spoon and you’re telling me this isn’t the truth? You’re saying that the truth is that I’m hanging poolside with the president of the United States of America?’ If you truly desire to hang poolside with the president of the United States of America, and are hell-bent in your mind and your actions to create it, it’s the truth.”
So this is saying that my list of things I wrote down that I want I can actually have by believing I have it already? Hmmmm, and ignore the reality my eyes are feeding me? The capitalised letters on the next page grab my attention as I go to shut the book.
“The moment you have the audacity to start believing in the not-yet seen, your reality will begin to shift.
THE FOLLOWING IS HUGELY IMPORTANT SO PLEASE PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION: You have to change your thinking first, and then the evidence appears. Our big mistake is that we do it the other way around. We demand to see the evidence before we believe it to be true.”
That awareness is uncomfortably true…
I’m sure you can agree. We want to see the evidence in order to believe it is true. But yet, when we were children, we could believe in the unseen all day long. Easter Bunny. Santa. Tooth Fairy… We didn’t need to see them actually making their deliveries or swapping the tooth for the coin to believe. The evidence left behind and the magic our parents created was enough.
Yes, it was all lies wasn’t it? We know it’s the parents and grandparents, schoolteachers, actors, event organisers and other adults that planted everything for us to find and guided us to find it in the right order. But for us as kids it was simply magical. Adults refute things or completely disregard them as tricks of the eye. A well-placed light. Or invisible wires when we can’t explain a magic trick or something that we have seen with our eyes. We call it a trick instead of believing in magic.
But this book is saying that to believe in ‘magic’. In the things we want and to use our imagination to see them in our real world. Will actually create them in it. We just simply have to believe it to be true first. Like the Disney films all say Believe and you will see! Not see in order to believe.
The believing must come first.
I put my bookmark in, put the book in my bag with my phone, money and water bottle. Tidy up breakfast and get my shoes and coat on to head down to the coffee shop.
I arrive just before 10 and the owner greets me with a smile as they unlock the door and invite me inside. They officially open at half 10 so there is time for them to show me what needs to happen in order to serve the first customers of the day.
They explain that at the end of the shift, the machines are all put onto a cleaning cycle. All the little cups that hold the coffee grinds are put into soak with the ends of the cream spray bottles and anything else used to make the drinks with. The dishwasher is filled and put on. The toastie machines are wiped down. And the cloths, towels, aprons and other items are put into the washing machine. Oh, and the coffee bean holders are emptied and wiped out and the food cabinets are emptied and wiped down.
So the first jobs in the morning have mostly been done already. Drying the things left to soak. Putting the washing in the tumble dryer. Emptying the dishwasher. The next jobs are to set up the coffee machine, refill the bean holder ready to be ground on demand throughout the day, and to restock the food cabinets.
But my head is starting to spin with all this information.
It feels really good to be learning new skills though, so I take some deep breaths and follow the owner around taking mental notes. Noting the jobs list pinned to the wall behind the counter as a very helpful reminder.
Everything is set up and ready to go so they start showing me how to use the machine. They explain that we will be working together today. Its rarely busy first thing on Sunday mornings apart from a few regulars, so there will be time for me to shadow them at a slower pace than usual to make sure I cross all the t’s and dot the i’s.
It is very obvious that the owner has a lot of love for this little shop. They make sure everything they do is done to the best of their ability. No corners are cut and as they talk it seems that customers don’t mind waiting those few extra seconds or minutes for their order to made correctly rather than quickly.
I feel in awe of them.
All my roles so far have insisted on quantity. Things being done quickly, with allowances made for things not being as polished as they could be. Corners are cut. Budgets are low. Things are left out. Most of the t’s look like l’s and a lot of the i’s are missing altogether! So, to see someone working efficiently, following well practised and rehearsed procedures that ensure everything is perfect is really amazing to see.
I don’t tend to buy coffee from coffee shops unless it is a really special occasion. Or I have a voucher. Or someone else is paying! My income doesn’t really stretch to the niceties in life. A jar of supermarket coffee that will give me over 20 cups costs the same as one cup in a coffee shop! But as the owner serves me up the freshly made cup they have just walked me through making and asks me to take a sip, I instantly understand why they cost so much.
The chocolate sprinkling on top has been done through a stencil in the shape of a coffee bean. They explain that there are different stencils for different drinks, so people know instantly what they and others are drinking. A motion to the board above their head and all the little symbols which are dotted around the names of the drinks. Another subtly little extra that only the most observant people would notice!
I take a sip of the coffee, and it is simply perfect.
Perfect temperature, not to hot or to cold, ready to drink there and then. The perfect blend of flavours from the coffee and the vanilla syrup, with a hint of caramel coming from somewhere as well. Perfectly frothy milk on top that also allows the chocolate sprinkling to infuse down into the coffee as I take another sip.
The owner smiles as they say, “Now that’s how you make coffee!”
I nod my head, and they cock their head slightly to one side. They must have seen something in my eyes or face that betrayed the thoughts running away as I take another sip. It’s too good to stop.
I couldn’t make a coffee this good! I can’t work here, I’ll destroy the brand and everything they have worked so hard to build, all for a little bit of extra money. I need to go.
“Come and sit for a minute.” They say and motion me towards a table as they add a teabag to another cup of hot water.
“You are having doubts?” I almost choke on the coffee as the words reach my ears. How can they possibly know what I was thinking? “You are thinking that you will not be able to do this. No experience, no training, starting work today… Possibly also thinking about your other job and whether you have time for this as well…”
As they spoke it was like they were literally reading my mind.
A smile creeps across the owner’s face as they take a sip of their own drink, teabag still in the cup.
“I meet lots of people every day and I’ve got very good at spotting when people are hiding or doubting themselves. You stood out like a candle in the dark yesterday! So torn between things you want and the life you live now. Now, how you live is none of my business, all I want to know is if you can learn new things and be coached to improve your skills, hence the trial today.”
I nod and say that I am always keen to learn new things.
“That’s enough for me then! Don’t let your mind tell you that you can’t do something before you have even tried. I definitely wouldn’t be here today if I had listened to that annoying voice in the back of my head! You simply have to decide what you want and then go and get it.”
I smile, nod and mention that that was exactly what I had read in a book that morning.
I tell them some more about the webinar and “You Are A Badass” by Jen Sincero and they smile as they listen.
“When you are talking about these things your whole energy shifts, did you notice that?”
I stop and think. Actually, my body does feel different now than it did a minute ago! It feels a lot better, more positive and energised.
“That’s the Morgan I want working in this shop. That energy, positivity, belief in yourself. It is that energy that my customers come back here for. It is the first and last thing I look for when hiring staff. People can be taught to make coffee, serve customers and other things, but the energy is something in them. Some have it, some don’t. In some they don’t even know they have it, but it can be unlocked if they are willing, and you Morgan, I can tell you are willing.”
I think my head is going to explode.
Before I have time to digest and let my thoughts wander off to their usual dark place we are heading back to the coffee machine. It is my turn to have a go.
Super slow speed. One part at a time. Making the exact same drink I had just finished. The owner talks me through it step by step, being patient, and not once taking over or criticising, simply guiding. A couple of minutes later I have made my first barista level coffee. They ask me to try it and give my honest feedback.
I take a couple of sips. The difference is subtle, but obvious and I say so. It is not as smooth, and the flavours are there but not as perfectly combined. The owner gives me a couple of tips to try on my next go and applauds my honesty and attention to detail. The fact I can tell the differences and speak about them seems to make them very happy and they remind me that this is the first coffee I have made using this machine and technique and that customers will hardly notice the difference.
I feel very proud.
The owner goes to unlock the door and turn the open / closed sign around ready for the first customers who are waiting patiently outside. Both come in with big smiles, place their newspapers down on the table in the window and come to the counter to order.
I watch, smiling and taking note of the conversation. The way the owner greets them by name and offers other options to their usual order and then smiles as the customers just ask for their usual. I am introduced and asked to prepare the pastries onto clean plates, with a napkin beneath them and arranged a certain way.
“Very particular in this establishment!” One customer remarks as they watch the owner making the drinks while explaining how to sort the food and tray layout. I smile and say it is amazing to see someone so in love with their craft! The customer agrees and welcomes me to the team before walking back to their table to wait for their order.
The rest of the day goes very smoothly.
I am able to choose anything I like for my lunch, on the house, and I get to practice making drinks to sample myself during quiet periods. By the end of the day, I am trusted to start making drinks for customers and they all seem happy with my creations!
There were lots of conversations going on at all times, and the whole shop has a wonderfully positive vibe to it. People talk openly with the owner about what they did at work, or about the new business they are setting up, or their family, and they engage as if they have known these people for years. Some of them they have! There is a very loyal customer base at each of the shops, and the owner visits each one at least once a week but definitely enjoys their Sunday in this one the most.
I have even had lots of conversations myself as I wiped down tables, delivered orders, fetched sugar pots, extra milk, a spare fork, napkins.
It was a real breath of fresh air for me today.
As I turn the open / closed sign to closed at the end of the day I notice a book tucked down the side of the chair in the window. I pull it out and pass it to the owner who noticed a bit of paper, takes a look and then hands it back to me.
“Think this is for you.”
I pause and look at the book before taking it and sliding out the note.
“To the new staff member. Let the wisdom of these pages lead you ever further down this new path. I look forward to tasting your creations next Sunday!”
I look at the owner and they smile.
“The older gentleman who spent most of the day in that chair took a shine to you. He spoke to me when you had your break and asked if he could leave you a gift.”
I look again at the book. Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. I flick through a few pages and note the publication date of the early 1900’s. My mind is racing. I never get given things and today I’ve had nothing but compliments!
“So are you ok to pop in a couple evenings after work this week? We open til 8pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays if you fancy it? Then maybe Saturday afternoon and all-day Sunday?”
I nod my head, put the book in my bag and carry on helping with the evening routine so everything is ready for the morning.
I leave the coffee shop just after 4:30pm
after filling in my details on the official form to accept the role, bank and contact details all that sort of thing. I’m also able to email my CV over later although apparently, it’s not needed!
It’s a nice evening and I have had more than enough to eat and drink today so I am not overly hungry. I was also given one of the pastries as I left as well because it would not be good by tomorrow, so I decide to head over to the park to enjoy the last of the sunshine and flick through my new book.
I still feel quite taken aback that a complete stranger would choose to give me something so obviously well loved, with its battered cover and some dog-eared pages. I’m starting to wonder what he saw in me. Maybe it is to do with the energy that the owner told me they could see as well?
My usual bench is empty, and there is just the solitary dog walker at the far side. As I sit down, I realise I hadn’t even been looking for dog poo to avoid, and I quickly check the soles of my shoes.
All clean.
A sigh of relief.
I pull the book out of my bag and take a look at the contents. It looks like the book is about the thirteen steps to riches as each chapter, bar a couple, says so. Desire, faith, imagination, persistence and the brain are a few that jump out at me, and I flick over to the first section, before the introduction, entitled “What Do You Want Most?”.
“Is it money, fame, power, contentment, personality, peace of mind, happiness?”
This book seems very in line with Jen Sincero’s book, and I flick through a few of the pages before the light gets too low to see properly and I decide to head home.
A thought comes to mind as I blow onto my hands to warm them up. How nice would a bath be right now? Obviously my first thought after that is straight to the cost of the gas and the water blah blah blah… But then I remind myself that I made some extra money today, and one bath really won’t cost that much! I might even still have some bath stuff to add to the hot water as I soak and read some more of “You Are A Badass” so that I can get started on “Think And Grow Rich”.
I smile as I climb the stairs to my home, using my imagination to see these stairs rising up to my new house that is at the top of my want list. This evening is an evening of daydreaming methinks! I warm up the croissant as the bath runs and then spend nearly an hour just soaking in the hot water before drying off, and heading to bed, eager for the week ahead instead of feeling my usual feelings of dread.
What Do You Think?
So what do you think? Comment below with your feedback and where you would like to see Morgan’s story go or where you think it will go! I only have a rough outline plan so far so your input could guide it in another direction…
If this story resonates with you and you want to discuss this further, then get in touch today. Either here or through any of my social medias or schedule a call to discuss it with me directly.
I look forward to speaking with you soon.
To your success,
Jaiye
PS.
Don’t forget to come and join me live if it hasn’t gone past the 24th December 2024 yet! I go live with a new chapter every Tuesday and Thursday on my Linked In, Facebook and YouTube channels and you are more than welcome to join me. Register now!
