My vision is to change the world one cup of tea at a time.
How? Consider where you are right now. In your body. In your heart. In your life. I’m guessing you’ve got dreams that you are striving for, and challenges to overcome. Somewhere, on paper or in your head there’s a list of projects that you chip away at day by day. Some projects are old and stagnant, and others are fresh and urgent.
For those of you not reading this, if you are not getting what you strive for in life then now is the time to do something different. Shatter the routine. Just stop and wake up and change. If you are reading this, then you are probably used to getting what you strive for. Continue on as you have been and chances are good that sooner or later your dreams will come true and your current challenges will yield to your efforts. What then?
When you achieve “it,” will you have more money? A bigger house? Flatter abs? More friends? Happier kids? A more loving partner? More leisure time? More happiness?
Now, imagine for a moment that everything is perfect right now, just as it is.
Imagine that, miraculously, all your dreams have come true and all your challenges overcome. You have arrived. Look around. Notice your body. Listen.
Breathe in.
And then out.
When all of your goals are hit and all of your challenges overcome, where will you be? Here. Now. Of course the future hasn’t happened. That means all your worries and what-ifs are just illusions and totally bogus. Tomorrow will always be tomorrow. And the past is past. Yesterday is forever gone. Whatever. Good, bad, or indifferent, it’s over and it will never happen again. All we have is now. This singular moment.
This is the gift you get for being alive.
If you can slow down enough to pay attention to the details of this moment then the basic goodness and raw joy of being alive is impossible to ignore.
For me, drinking tea is a reminder. The ritual preparing, serving, and drinking tea reminds me to slow down, to let my senses take over, and to let this moment flood the Now. The clatter of tea ware. The warmth of the cup. Hot steam swirling in the early morning sunlight from a cup of brilliant green sencha.
This ritual is a reminder I try to carry with me throughout the day. This is it. This one cup. This one moment. This one life.
Perfection.
You have captured the essence of something amazing here in this post. I love the line you used “If you are reading this, then you are probably used to getting what you strive for.” – that is so refreshing in comparison to all this fear mongering that “personal development coaches” dish out. And yes you are so right.. the answer to anything is here and now and you express this so well and I absolutely agree that tea brings this out very easily too. Simple post but inspiring (I don’t normally comment).
This is absolutely great ! thanks
Great. Wonderfull words.
[...] One Cup at a Time [...]
Enjoyed the article
Glad you enjoyed Andy! It’s all about the here and now. Drinking tea definitely helps this aid in this mindfulness : )
Thanks Jana : )
Thanks Tobias. What were your favorite takeaways?
Thanks Mark!
[...] look for it in the people around me — someone creating an amazing experience using tea, someone helping others find their dreams, my wife quitting her day job to homeschool our kids, [...]
: )
Thanks for the encouragement to breathe and to be! I have a ritual cup of tea every morning–a sort of Kashmiri chai–that helps set a relaxed tone for my day. Simple and effective.
Morning tea rituals are the greatest! You’re right, it really can set the tone for the rest of your day. I had some Phoenix this morning : )
Thanks, I found wonderful your words. Most of them we already know, most of them are common sense. But in these days of hurry and “speed”, it seems that we are forgotten our roots, and the most important: The Time
The time to live, the time to enjoy.
Thanks.
[...] look for it in the people around me — someone creating an amazing experience using tea, someone helping others find their dreams, my wife quitting her day job to homeschool our kids, [...]
I most enjoyed the coupling of your mindfulness with the process of relishing tea. You supported your endeavor, but you gave a gift first. Well done, and terrific encouragement for the rest of us to discover, observe, and appreciate our own reminders.
Thank you so much for sharing! I also love tea.
[...] http://www.samovarlife.com/one-cup-at-a-time/ [...]
Thanks Tais! What tea have you been drinking lately?
I just wanted to echo the thoughts of Andy, that I loved the inclusion of the note: “If you are reading this, then you are probably used to getting what you strive for.”
It was a great reminder to reflect on my own successes as well as the innumerable goals unfulfilled, to reflect how my life today would look from the standpoint of my younger self, and to recognize that the view would not be entirely disappointing.
A beautiful post. My thanks.
[...] One Cup at a Time. One of the most relaxing, stress-bursting posts I’ve ever read. It’s like a virtual hug from a loved one. [...]
Errrr… WOW!
And then, double wow! As soon as I read Leo’s words about ‘changing the world a cup of tea at a time’, I knew I’d love what I saw/read when I clicked through.
Thank you for inspiring me to greatness, reminding me that it is possible to take something I love and transform it into an offering to the world.
Wow!
This was .. beautiful
This is amazing, I paused and pondered for a minute.This one is really clicking! WOW!! Thank you.
My warm compliments from your post and a sunny greeting from Athens, Greece
Thanks Manolis! We are drinking some Mt. Olympus here is SF : )
Just reading this post gave me a moment of serenity. Thank you.
[...] look for it in the people around me — someone creating an amazing experience using tea, someone helping others find their dreams, my wife quitting her day job to homeschool our [...]
This article appeared just when I needed it. I am continually living between the dead past and unknown future. Now I know I can use the ritual of tea to slow down and stay in the present moment.
I’m so glad that you find this helpful! Staying in the present is a life’s work.
It’s a mystery to me how living in the moment can be so self-evident and so enigmatic at the same time. The ritual of drinking tea, with it’s combination of physicality — you can hold, smell it, see it, taste it — and it’s timelessness can work wonders for resetting our focus to the moment at hand.
life is indeed like a cup of tea. that warm thing that you hold and take time to savor. thanks for the lovely reminder.
INCREDIBLE………
MARVELLOUS………
IT IS INFACT SOMETHING BEYOND IMAGINATION.
………????????
I liked it. // Me gustó mucho.
[...] a great post titled One Cup at a Time and written by Samovarlife’s founder Jesse [...]
I’m going to read this often. Thx so much.
I was introduced to your place by a wonderful woman by the name of Anna. She opened my eyes as did the simple pleasures of your place opened my eyes. The post on this page is so intense I cannot even put it in words. I’m at the point in life where everything you said perfectly describes my stage in life. Thank you. And thank you Anna.
I like Jesse(the founder)’s not notion of life, the brand Samovar has got the same personality as the founder, so I like it as well. I found Samovar’s website by searching Tea and Zen culture worldwild,coz I am a Chinese and very interested in Chinese tea and Zen culture.I am very happy to find this useful website. I watched the video “Zen & The Art Of Life Management”, I am not sure if Jesse will read my comment, but just want to tell the thing people dont know about me is Jeg taler også Dansk! okay, i am just making fun,hihi! Thank you for sharing your passion?Med venlig hilsen.
hmm, just want to correct my typing mistake of my previous comment” I like the founder’s notion of life .:)
I love your word “raw joy”. It really means to me. Thanks