What My Pumpkin Spice Latte Taught Me About Life
As I pull up to my favorite cafe, my eyes catch the sandwich board propped outside. Its brightly-colored image unveils the drink of the season – the infamous pumpkin spice latte. Its frothy heart-shaped foam entices my eyes inviting my senses to experience a warm cup of fall. I don’t even drink coffee, but my mind fixates on the joy and warmth this festive beverage could fulfill. I approach the counter and their invitation is accepted as I order a pumpkin spice latte substituting the regular milk with the oat milk circulating in a bubbler behind the counter. As I take my number back to the table, I excitedly await the warmth and love of this fall-time favorite. As it arrives, I drink joyously, each sip offering a warm hug and escape from the day. But, as I leave, the temporary joy has slipped away. My challenges flood back and hurricane in my mind as I am overwhelmed not knowing which one to tackle first.
When we grab for the latte, extra dessert, one more glass of wine or unnecessary scroll what we often are seeking is the feeling the desire gives. What are we craving in that moment? Comfort? Control? Peace? Love? An escape? Relaxation? Being seen?
Of course, it’s not bad to enjoy pleasures of life. However, when the emptiness fills us as soon as the desire goes away, we know it was more than a simple drink or dessert we are seeking. Even exercise or other healthy practices can be filling a void if we notice this emptiness as soon as they are over.
Trust and know when you need help – from an outside source to support you or just from your daily practice. Committing to a daily spiritual practice helps us in those moments where we want to turn to something from the outside to make us happy. Showing up each day in meditation or doing a daily walk or deep breathing can seem inconvenient when our packed calendars are screaming to us to get started. But they can save us in those moments where we may sabotage ourselves.
I love the book by Nadia Quiros, Tangible Spiritual Practices: Awaken the Senses and Renew the Soul. You can open to any page and it offers creative ideas to re-center, reconnect and recommit to yourself. Each chapter offers ideas for practices that can help save you and bring you back to peace when you need it most. There are infinite resources out there – guided meditations, breathing, mantra, movement, nervous system work. The key is trying different ones and continuing with the one that works for you. There isn’t a best practice. It’s the one you’ll commit to and continue and draw from when you need it most.
So “cheers” to you as you drink your latte, but also as you sit on your meditation cushion – alone, unnoticed, but cultivating lasting change.
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