How do you like your coffee.

There are a few things in life I believe you should not compromise on quality.  I have been criticised occasionally for being a bit of a snob when it comes to being fussy and tongue in cheek, I take offence to these insinuations, but in reality I am not phased one bit about them.  They are coffee, wine, ethics in business and good shoes.  So, because these items float my boat so much, I have decided to dedicate the next 4 days blogs to these themes and deal with them one by one.  Coffee is an obvious one to start with, as we start most days with our favourite blend and because over the years the dietitians have gone from "the stuff is so bad for you",  to "oh well a couple of cups per day is not too bad", to "well it actually is not bad for you", helps you before a workout and is now all over the place.  Even George Clooney who epitomises style and panache is endorsing Nestle coffee, in a variety of enticing adverts.  I think back so fondly to some of the best encounters, meetings, dates and great learning experiences have been centered around a cup of coffee.  It is so much like life that metaphors are easy.  It is a drink which makes you want to discuss intimate matters, catch up with someone special after a bad day, offering advice to a friend and clinching a deal, or new business.   There are so many coffee shops each advocating that they make the best blend and their beans are superior to any other.  Very much like businesses offering services.   It is interesting that we all have different tastes for coffee (and relationships) and for some espresso is the way to go (complicated and dynamic even if in a small quantity), others claim cappuccino to be the best (soft and smooth on top but once mixed with the foam the espresso comes through) and still others will convince you that an americano is the only way to start a day (strong in personality and constant in their texture and personality).  I think like so many other things our tastes change with time and like in life relationships, we may still love coffee, but over time we go from numerous cups of strong coffee, to that special cup during the day and finally to that espresso which may be small in volume, but gives so much to making your life perfect.  Coffee definitely takes you places and I have been privileged to drink coffee in many countries, each with their own style and unique memory.  It is like the differences we as humans have, and  what makes God's creation of us so unbelievable,  I decided several years ago that I would simply choose not to drink poor coffee and maybe it is a silly analogy to life, but since I made the choice to drink good coffee, I have also realised the quality of people and what makes them special or just a very plain and uninteresting blend.  Some have even been bitter and poor quality beans.  I am happy to spend money on good quality beans and the same on people who are worth investing in, because the reward on your investment cannot be over estimated and quality should be celebrated and praised.  I will no longer just drink a coffee for the sake of having it, and by the same token the people I relate to, will be of the same quality as the coffee that I consume.  Besides it is fun to take that first sip of the day and feel the blend hitting your senses.  I used to need sugar (people) to make the taste of some coffee (life) bearable but now I can drink it without sugar and as is (because life is so special to have in itself) - I have the opportunity to choose the taste and the strength of my coffee (IE the relationships I keep and nurture) and occasionally realise that I still want a second cup (a chance to make the second half of my life count).  I hope to be sharing a cup with you in the near future.