I know of a couple that have a nice tea ceremony. In the evening or any other time they can, they get down a special tea pot made of yixing china from china. They load it up with a very special green tea from Taiwan, a favored pouchong. The hot water is added and they pour the cups after a few minutes of steeping. This green tea takes many steepings to take the flavor out of the tea, and they continue this until the tea has no flavor. It takes a long time; nearly an hour, and they can talk about what there lives are and what they want. This gives them time to reconnect. They notice that their conversation is better with tea than with wine. The warm beverage is very soothing and delicious, what a treat.

Another example comes from no less a controversial figure than Ross Perot himself. I know that he gets up early every day with his wife and has coffee with her before the day gets started. This time of connection and talking about the day surely helps him with his many successes. I am talking more about the fact that his marriage seems to be going well than whatever money he makes.

Coffee and tea can and should be used in this way. Whether it is a quick meeting with a friend at a coffee shop or a more elaborate ceremony like above, we should all do this. The value and quality with which we judge our lives comes from the people we know and the type of relationships we have. If we only have professional relationships, our lives are truly missing something. Make personal relationships with the people around you, you owe it to yourself. Invite someone to a cup of coffee today!