There are degrees of everything. Athletes, for example, complete a range from say a peewee basketball player all the way up to a Lebron James. Not just people, but things, have degrees, too. Wearing a Casio watch will tell you the time, but it’s no Rolex.
I happen to enjoy coffee as much as anyone can enjoy anything. I think it has to do with me being introverted, and the experience of coffee and the intellectual pursuits surrounding it (reading, writing, etc). Coffee is another example that varies in degree. Starbucks stores are paced a mile apart from here to Brooklyn, but on the other hand I also know a place on Broadway that has a cup of coffee that goes for $85. Yes, I said eighty-five.
Big James: Inverted
If you could care less about coffee, stick with me here. The reason for this post is less about spending $4 for a cup of single-origin pour over coffee, and more about the people making it.
A local favorite coffee shop of mine, Primo Passo, lives and breathes coffee. Regardless of cost, appearance or otherwise, you cannot discount the fact that the types of people that work there have devoted their lives to coffee. For every swing of a baseball bat I’ve ever taken, these folks have tinkered with making a cup of coffee. I find that highly admirable.
There is a certain richness available in just about any experience. Sure, you can go to the corner coffee shop and give $1.50 to some kid that’s pissed to be at work in exchange for a cup of coffee. Contrast that, though, with buying a cup of coffee from someone that believes they were put on this Earth to make coffee. Talk about degrees of separation!
Furthermore, this isn’t simply about being different. Remarkable quality has value. There is no shortage of folks unwilling to be great. Trust me, there are millions of people and business fighting over the title ‘Most Average.’ With mastery comes separation, and that separation is valuable.
There is immeasurable value in seeking mastery. When you get a chance seek out mastery around you. Go to a concert, visit an art exhibit, or go to a Laker game. You shouldn’t need to enjoy music, art, or sports to appreciate a master at work.
Imagine what is available to YOU if your life and career included the type of passion and mastery mentioned above. I encourage you to visit Primo Passo. Just watch and listen. Maybe ask a question or two.
Mastery is the best teacher. It pushes the envelop of standards. As we all move along on our journey to master level in fitness, I could only hope that such efforts bleed into our careers and hobbies.
Onward.
Logan Gelbrich
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Saturday’s Workout:
AMRAP 15
Alternating rounds with a partner:
5 Hang Squat Cleans
10 Squats
100m Run