Thought #12 — I can’t pay for tea
As much as I know I should cut down on coffee, I just can’t bring myself to pay for tea. And I love tea, all types of tea, I’ve been drinking tea since I was 3 years old, but to pay somebody to pop a tea bag in a cup and pour boiling water over it…hmm, I just can’t do it. Why is that?
It comes down to value, or rather, perceived value. Just before I place my order at the café, my brain is subconsciously telling me, I can make a cup of tea at home, it’s simple and effortless, and cheap, you’re not going to pay for that are you?
My brain is also subconsciously telling me, I don’t own one of those fancy coffee machines, nor have I completed a barista course, therefore I don’t know how fine I should ground the coffee beans, how much pressure to apply to the shot, when to wipe the milk frother thingy, when or why I should bang the jug on the bench, how to make the swirly pattern on top, and most importantly, how to grow a super cool beard & moustache…
That’s gotta be worth something right?
That’s gotta be worth my hard earned cash.
What we need to understand though is, what is it exactly that we are paying for?
When we go to a café, we are not paying for coffee, we are not paying for tea. We are paying for an experience, a feeling, a moment. Whether that moment is shared with other people or whether you enjoy that moment on your own, it is the moment that we are paying for.
Now as much as I am aware of this fact, I still struggle to pay for tea. And this all due to my blueprint. The blueprint forged by my environment and my genetics. I come from a working class background, where time exchanged for money is at the core. Unfortunately because of this, value is often misinterpreted. Instead of being free to pay for tea, and enjoy the moment, I am instead torn between what is worth $5.50 and what is not. Is a tea bag and boiling water worth $5.50? Or is all that work involved in preparing coffee worth $5.50?
I’m blinded by working-class-dollar-value-perspective.
Of course, upon reflection I realise all of this. And the more I reflect and become aware of my actions, the easier it becomes to recognise and take action when misinterpretation happens, or is about to happen.
The first step in changing your blueprint… is realising you have a blueprint.
Value is subjective, and often clouded by our own filters. Next time you go to the café, make sure you order what you really want, and pay for the moment instead.
If value and perspective interest you, checkout another one of my articles on the topic here.
