No. 39 - Fall 7 Times, Stand Up 8: A Tea-Lover’s Take on Perseverance

These days, I'm on a flavour journey with several blends in development. It will take weeks, if not months, to successfully translate the flavour out of my imagination and into the cup. It's the kind of perseverance that I love—the incremental improvements, sudden setbacks when the flavour tips too far to an extreme, and then, eureka!, the elation of a delightful experience of aroma and taste. Wherever I reach you today, I hope you are enjoying your own journey. May it be filled with the sweet taste of success. 💜

A Tea Lover's Take on Perseverance

Yesterday, I found myself sipping our lovely organic Darjeeling while trying to capture a moment of calm inspiration in the stands at a karate tournament.

At first glance, you would not have described the environment as calm – shouts of encouragement surrounded me as kids of all ages attempted to best each other with tentative (and sometimes not so tentative) kicks and punches. But as the older students took to the mat to perform their Kata, a shift occurred. In various stages of coming into awareness of body and mind, some radiated calm and focus as they inhaled and exhaled with intention. Movements that were once loose and disconnected have become infused with purpose and even a budding grace. As with any endeavour, practice and patience have allowed these students to begin a journey to excellence. Whether they know it or not, they are discovering moments of calm awareness, small yet powerful, that will shape their future success—if they persevere.

It is the typical journey for any endeavour: experiencing the newbie’s frustrations and ignorance (How hard can that be? Oh – quite!), moving through the cycles of failure and success that mark skill development, and slowly gaining grace through practice, patience, and intention.

Making it from start to success takes tenacity against the statistics. Only half of small businesses celebrate their 5-year milestone. Less than 1 in ten high school athletes go on to play sport at the university level and, of those, fewer than 2 in 100 reach the professional ranks. (Want better odds? Play lacrosse or hockey – GO CANADA btw 🇨🇦🥇) Picking up a hobby? Most of us only stick with it for 16 months before moving on. So why start at all? Why not stuff our ideas and desires into the box on the top shelf behind the winter sweaters and forget they even exist? Because the hope, excitement, and fulfillment of the journey is where the magic is. There is something that speaks to our spirit in following our heart against the odds.

Every time we take down the box of dreams and move them forward, accepting our mistakes and defeats with grace, gaining confidence with each taste of success, we prove to ourselves that we can. While we may visit with disappointment, quietly shed our tears, and suffer a few bruises, if we keep at it long enough and with the right effort, the next time we step onto the mat we may come out victorious. And if not, at least someone may have a hug and a cup of tea waiting for us.

Have a favourite tea that keeps you going? Or a hack that get you through defeat and toward victory? Share your inspiration in the comments or join the conversation on social.

Because life is better when we Steep Calm together.

One more thing...

“Fall seven times, stand up eight.”
- Japanese Proverb

Until next time,
Steep Calm,
Bree