Why the First Cup of Coffee Matters

Stephanie Cansian
2 min readJul 9, 2021

“The coffee does not give me power. I give power to my coffee.” — Wes Watson

One of the worst feelings is disappointment in a lousy cup of coffee, especially if it’s the first cup of the day, especially on the first day of the workweek.

As a former barista, I know it’s not just coffee drinkers; the tea drinkers are just as bad. If what was poured is not up to a glorious, life-giving standard, then it feels like the whole day is shot!

Why?

Why do we get so disproportionately upset at a disappointing cup of coffee, over being late to work, or forgetting lunch?

Because we give power to that first cup.

Not the other way around.

The coffee might provide us with a caffeine boost, but we are the ones who associate that feeling and that action with the notion that we are ready to seize the day.

This begs the question: what if we took the power we gave the act of drinking coffee and applied it to some other morning activity, like exercise, or journaling, or meditating?

What would your morning look like if you just enjoyed your coffee without judgment and improved your frame of mind through more meaningful actions?

Espresso Macchiato and Macaron from Boxwood Coffee in Summit, NJ. Photo by me.

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Stephanie Cansian

Content creator and copywriter for the coolest people on earth. This space is dedicated to professional development. If you like what I write, let’s chat!