The Special-Tea Pass

Yes, I really do wake up having the most random of thoughts. Maybe that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but…oh, wait…that’s actually what I wanted to talk about…

“You can’t be everyone’s cup of tea.”

How often have you heard that phrase? I hear it A LOT. Normally I don’t think much of it, but this morning I started thinking more about it and I wondered…

How often are we using the excuse of, what I have decided to dub, The Special-Tea Pass?

Let’s be real. It is GREAT advice. There really are just people who are amazing, but there’s something about them that doesn’t mesh with the amazing that we are. And, honestly, if we went through life trying to be liked by everyone or trying to like everyone…we’d lose our minds.

BUT…I contend that: The Special-Tea Pass gives us an out. It tells us that we don’t have to try to get to know people that we see as different than us…we don’t have to try to understand them so we can still love them…we don’t have to look at our own actions and question if maybe we have some personal growth to work on.

The Special-Tea Pass narrows our worlds and makes us accept our narrow mindedness, both in regards to ourselves and others.

I have a fairly large circle. I’m blessed to be able to say that I need two hands to count my best friends. Which…seems weird…even to me…but, if you think about…

Really, we’re all like a box of assorted tea bags.

Sometimes I’m chamomile. Just a calm, non stimulating cup of tea.

Sometimes I’m green tea. I wake you up, keep you warm, and am great for deeper conversations.

Sometimes (usually) I’m tea that’s been spiked…you’re probably going to start laughing at highly inopportune moments and risk getting kicked out of the tea house. 😉

I’m all of these teas and more. My friends are all of these teas and more. So…

WHAT IF I had met those friends on a day when they weren’t a cup of tea that meshed with the cup of tea that I was on that particular day? You know what? Some of them weren’t. If we hadn’t still taken the chance to have another cup with each other…we wouldn’t be friends.

Good Lord, I have an actual visceral reaction to imagining my life without each of these ladies.

Honestly, I almost always give every tea a whole lot of chances before I decide they aren’t my cup of tea. (I’ll still never forget the look of shock and conversation that followed the ONE TIME one of my best friends heard me say after a first meeting, “Nope. I don’t like her. Not even a little.” The gasp of, “Whoah! THAT’S saying something…you ALWAYS try to find something likeable about people!!” 🤣🤣)

Also, honestly, when people don’t like me, I TRY to give myself the Special-Tea Pass…but I usually inside start thinking, “Maybe if I just added a little more sugar…”.

But, the point of this is…

How many amazing people do you not truly know because you took one sip and decided they weren’t your cup of tea? Conversely, are there parts of the way that you present yourself that you excuse because, “Oh well, I can’t be everyone’s cup of tea.”?

So, today…I challenge you to spend the next month or so, challenging the Special-Tea Pass. When you meet someone new (unless it’s a mugger in an alley…there are still limits)…give them a chance to show you their assorted flavors. When you are faced with someone who doesn’t like the tea that you are…take a moment to reflect on how you presented yourself. (Just a moment. Don’t spiral.)

You might find that a lot of people really do have their own… Special Tea. ❤