Sometimes, you’ll burn the beans, but it’s not the end of the world.
Beans beans good for your heart,
The more you eat, the more you fart,
The more you fart, the better you feel
So let’s have beans for every meal.
Earlier this week, while I was on a walk, the song popped into my head and activated a memory from my childhood.
The memory bubbled to the surface because I’ve been reflecting on my life for the past few weeks. Something I assign to my clients as one of the first things to remind them who they are.
What do beans have to do with mental wealth, culture, or business?
Well, let me share the story of the time I burned beans.
I was ten years old, and the school day was almost over. All I wanted to do before bedtime was play outside with friends, eat dinner, and watch TV.
Not so fast. Before I could go outside and play, I had to cook dinner—specifically, a pot of beans—most likely it was pinto beans. I was still learning my way around the kitchen but thought I knew everything. After reading the note from my dad, I thought I only needed to put water and beans into his beautiful Flame-colored Le Creuset Dutch Oven. Yup, a day in the life of latchkey kid Gen X’s childhood.
When I got back home from playing, I walked into chaos. The smoke from the burning beans filled the air, and the smoke alarm went off. I ruined my dad’s Le Creuset Dutch Oven.
My dad got home from work only a short time after that. When he saw and smelled the mess, he was pissed off. In hindsight, he was more disappointed than mad because I didn’t follow through on my responsibility. After I finished cleaning up the mess, I was able to help him cook breakfast food because we still had to eat.
By the end of the night, I had learned my lesson and had a full belly through the joy of breakfast for dinner and some cleaning duty.
There’s a business lesson here, right? Yes, and a few life lessons.
- Communication and grace are key.
- Food is food, but breakfast food at dinner time hits different.
- Sometimes, you’ll burn the beans, but it’s not the end of the world.
Did you learn to cook as a kid? If so, what was you favorite food to prepare?
Are You Aware?
Climate change impacts the state of our mental health. PERIODT.
Whether you believe in climate change or not, you are not immune to its effects. From major flooding to droughts to rising temperatures, climate change is creating short—and long-term challenges to our individual and collective mental health.
Recent research has shown increased:
- Gender-based violence
- Risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression
- Climate anxiety
- and much more.
While some countries like the United States have cultures of rugged individualism, the impact of climate change on our mental health shows how we are all in this human experience together.
Until Next Time
If I were to dedicate one newsletter issue to a challenge you are currently facing, what would that be?
When you reply, it’s actually me responding to messages 🙂
Are You Aware? is a weekly newsletter by Anthony Ware. It is a collection of news, insights, and research on business, mental wealth, research, and culture. This newsletter will evolve based on Anthony’s work and regular feedback from you, the readers who invest part of your week to read each new article.