Good Day Beautiful People,


Come on in and make yourself comfortable. Let me get you a fresh cup of coffee... or would you prefer some tea?

In today's conversation, let's talk about the difference between reacting and responding.


As I reflect over last week, a significant incident happened in business. The platform that I have promoted vigorously experienced a serious security breach.


In years past, our industry has seen platforms claim "security breaches" only for it to become a pretext for something much more troubling... people losing their funds.


For just a brief moment...

PTSD kicked in.


Thankfully, it was only a fleeting moment.


I am learning that living in the past—especially replaying painful experiences—can rob me of the present and blind me to the possibilities waiting in my future.


Almost as quickly as fear arrived...

the real me showed up.


The me that I believe is a Spirit Being having a temporary human experience.


That brief moment caused me to think about two words...

React and Respond.


Let's look at the first one.

RE-ACT.


"Re" means again.

So, in that moment, I was acting again from an old place of pain.

An old wound.

An old fear.


Reacting, I believe, comes from a place of disempowerment.

It disconnects me from my power.


Every moment of every day, I believe I am living from one of two places...

Empowerment... or Disempowerment.


When I share from a faith perspective, I often describe Empowerment as God's Energy, while Disempowerment is E.G.O.—Edging God Out.

For today's conversation, let's simply use the words Empowerment and Disempowerment.


Empowerment (Me In Power) is where Love lives.

Joy.

Peace.

Patience.

Kindness.

Goodness.

Gentleness.

Faithfulness.

Self-control.

The good stuff.

The God stuff.


Disempowerment feels very different.

Fear.

Shame.

Guilt.

Worry.

Stress.

Anger.

Feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness.


The very first thoughts that crossed my mind after hearing about the security breach came from that place.


"Oh no..."

"What if..."

"What happens next?"


Being on a Journey of Transformation doesn't mean I never experience those thoughts.

It simply means I no longer have to live there.


I don't believe there is something wrong with me that needs fixing.

I believe I came into this world

Whole.

Complete.

Entire.


The real me—the Spirit me—has never been broken.

My journey isn't about becoming someone new.

It's about remembering who I have always been before fear, shame, limiting beliefs, and the opinions of others convinced me otherwise.


Then another word quietly entered my awareness.

Respond.


And with it came another word.

Responsibility.

The Ability to Respond.


Now that...

comes from a place of POWER.

The moment I recognized I was reacting...

I also realized I had a choice.


At the speed of thought...

I could choose to respond instead.

So I began remembering everything I had shared with my business community over the previous months about why I believed this company was positioning itself for the long term.


Then I read the company's statement again.

This time I noticed something different.

Instead of focusing on the words "cyber attack,"

I focused on the words...

"We are committed to making this right."

Then I noticed the announcement that the CEO would personally address the community.


The facts hadn't changed.

But my focus had.

And when my focus changed...

my emotions changed.


Fear gave way to peace.

Stress gave way to calm.

Worry gave way to trust.


I've learned something that continues to prove true in my own life...

My energy flows where my focus goes.


When my attention remained fixed on the attack, I drifted into disempowerment.

When my attention shifted toward integrity, responsibility, and solutions...

I returned to empowerment.


Peace.

Green pastures.

Still waters.

Power through calm.

Power through trust.

Power through remembering that all things work together for my good.


So...

Note to Self...


When I RE-ACT, I am usually speaking from

an old wound.

An old fear.

A painful memory that wants to write today's story.


But when I choose to RESPOND...

I step back into my power.

I become more loving.

More peaceful.

More patient.

More kind.

More grounded.

And from that place...

I not only experience more of those qualities...

I tend to bring them into every room I enter.


That was one of the greatest lessons I learned from last week.

Now...

May I pour you another cup of coffee?

Or perhaps another cup of tea?


Before we finish today, I'd love to leave you with one question to carry into this week.


The next time life surprises you...

The next time someone disappoints you...

The next time fear knocks unexpectedly at your door...


Pause.

Take one slow breath.

And gently ask yourself...


"Am I reacting from yesterday...

or responding from who I am today?"


That one question may change the direction of your day.

And if you ask it often enough...

It may even change the direction of your life.


I'd love to hear one of the lessons life taught you last week.

Who knows, your response could become one our future Coffee Conversations.


Reply back.


Until then...

Keep pouring into your soul.

Keep extending yourself grace.

And keep remembering that your greatest power is not found in controlling what happens around you...

It is found in choosing how you respond to what happens within you.


Remember... between what happens and how you respond, there is a space. And in that space, your power lives.


The conversation continues later this week.

Until then...

Let's Transform This World Together Starting With...


Yours

Mine

Ours


-The Professor

admin@TheCashFlowClub.info

PS...


If today's conversation encouraged you, I'd appreciate a few small things.

First, click onto our latest Youtube Video. Click the Like button. It helps YouTube know this conversation may encourage someone else.


https://youtu.be/JbJ9ojA4fJI


Secondly, subscribe so you won't miss future Coffee With The Professor conversations.


I'd love to hear from you.


Leave me a comment on the video.

Tell me what resonated with you...
or simply tell me what you're learning on your own journey.


I actually read the comments because I believe some of the greatest conversations happen after the video ends.


Thirdly, Forward this to someone who may need some encouragement today.


Lastly, Join Our New Telegram Channel: https://t.me/CoffeeWithTheProfessor

☕ Coffee With The Professor (Video) | Reacting vs. Responding: The Power Hidden In The Pause

Good Day Beautiful People,

Have you ever noticed that life rarely asks us for immediate answers?

Instead...


Life offers us moments.

Tiny moments.


Moments between what happens... and what we choose to do next.

Sometimes those moments last only a few seconds.

Yet those few seconds can determine the direction of a relationship, a business decision, or even the course of our lives.


As I prepared this week's Coffee With The Professor Video Post, I found myself reflecting on a recent experience that reminded me just how easy it is to react from yesterday's pain rather than respond from today's wisdom.


It caused me to ask myself a simple question...


Am I responding from who I truly am... or reacting from what I've been through?


That question became the heart of this week's conversation.


☕ Coffee With The Professor
Reacting vs. Responding (The Video)


🎥 Watch Here:
https://youtu.be/-NnDr6mJro4


In this conversation we'll explore:


• Why reacting often comes from old wounds.
• How a simple pause can reconnect us with our greatest strength.
• Why our perspective changes when we slow down long enough to breathe.
• How this principle impacts our business, our relationships, and our everyday lives.


One of my favorite thoughts from this conversation is this:


There is incredible power in the pause.


Sometimes the greatest transformation doesn't happen because life changes...

It happens because we do.

If this message encourages you, would you do me a favor?

Please like the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave a comment. Your comments often become part of future Coffee With The Professor conversations, and they also help these messages reach people who may need them most.


Most importantly...

If someone you care about is walking through a difficult season...

Forward this video to them.

It may be exactly the conversation they need today.


Until next time...


Keep pausing.

Keep reflecting.

Keep growing.

Keep sippin'


Let's Transform This World Together... Starting With...


YOURS

MINE

OURS

PS...


Don't forget to Click the Like button. It helps YouTube know this conversation may encourage someone else.


https://youtu.be/JbJ9ojA4fJI


Secondly, subscribe so you won't miss future Coffee With The Professor conversations.


I'd love to hear from you.


Leave me a comment on the video.

Tell me what resonated with you...
or simply tell me what you're learning on your own journey.


I actually read the comments because I believe some of the greatest conversations happen after the video ends.


Thirdly, Forward this to someone who may need some encouragement today.


Lastly, Join Our New Telegram Channel: https://t.me/CoffeeWithTheProfessor

☕Coffee With The Professor — ME-IN-POWER

Good Day Beautiful One,

Come on in. Have a seat. Make yourself at home.

Would you prefer coffee, tea, or some other beverage?

Settle in, and let’s have another transformative conversation.


Earlier, I was thinking about an “ah-ha” moment I had when I was early in my personal transformation journey.


I was taking my daughter to school and was driving in the left-hand lane. We were a couple of miles from the school, which meant I would eventually need to move into the right-hand lane.


I put on my turn signal, looked in the rearview mirror, checked my blind spot, and noticed that the car in the right lane that had been behind me was suddenly speeding up.

I exclaimed…

“They won’t let me…”


And then I stopped.

My daughter looked at me and said,

“Dad, what’s wrong?”

Nothing was wrong.

In fact, something was suddenly very right.


I had just experienced a light-bulb moment.

The sentence I was about to finish was:

“They won’t let me get over.”

Seems innocent enough, doesn’t it?

It’s something millions of us have probably said while driving.

But something about those four words jumped out at me:

THEY WON’T LET ME…


And suddenly I realized something much bigger than changing lanes.

I don’t get to dictate what he, she, or in this case “they” ever do.


I had been living much of my life from the outside-in instead of from the inside-out.


Without realizing it, I had been disconnecting from my own power.

Disassociating from my power.

Disempowerment.


I was early in my personal transformation journey, but I already knew that I wanted to live much more from a place of…

EMPOWERMENT.


And somewhere along the way, I began seeing that word differently.

EMPOWERMENT.

ME-IN-POWER.

Sit with that for a moment.


WHO HAS YOUR POWER?
How often do we unknowingly place our power outside of ourselves?


“They made me angry.”

“She hurt my feelings.”

“He ruined my day.”

“My boss won't give me the opportunity.”

“My family doesn't support me.”

“The economy is keeping me from getting ahead.”

“My past won't let me move forward.”

“They won't let me…”


There it is again.

THEY.


And please understand, I am not suggesting that people cannot mistreat us.

They can.


People can betray us.

People can disappoint us.

People can lie to us.

People can reject us.

Circumstances can change.

Businesses can fail.

Money can disappear.

Plans can fall apart.

Life can sometimes take turns we never saw coming.


But here was the lesson that began revealing itself to me that morning:

I may not have power over what happens around me, but I have tremendous power over what happens within me.

That distinction began changing my life.


THE CAR WAS NEVER THE REAL PROBLEM
Think about what happened on that road.

The other driver speeding up didn't actually prevent me from reaching the school.

I had options.


I could slow down.

I could let the car pass.

I could move over behind them.

I could continue another hundred yards and change lanes later.

I could even miss my turn and take another route.


The moment I stopped focusing on what they were doing, I could begin focusing on what I could do.

WOW.


Maybe that is where empowerment begins.

Not when everybody else starts behaving the way we want them to behave.

Not when circumstances finally cooperate.

Not when the traffic disappears.

But when we stop asking…


“Why won't they let me?”

…and begin asking…

“What is within my power right now?”


WHERE HAVE WE GIVEN AWAY OUR POWER?
This morning, I invite you to look inward with me.

Are there areas where we have unknowingly handed someone else the keys?


Maybe we're waiting for an apology before we allow ourselves to heal.

Maybe we're waiting for someone's approval before pursuing a dream.

Maybe we're waiting for our children to change before allowing ourselves peace.

Maybe we're waiting for our partner to behave differently before deciding that today can still be beautiful.

Maybe we're allowing something that happened five, ten, twenty, or even forty years ago to determine how we experience

today.


Maybe we're waiting for the economy…

The government…

The company…

The relationship…

The bank account…

The opportunity…

Or simply “them”…

to change before we give ourselves permission to live.


And perhaps without realizing it, we're saying:

“They won't let me…”


BRING YOUR POWER HOME
Beautiful One, what if today we bring some of that power back home?

Not through anger.

Not through blame.

Not through pretending that difficult circumstances don't exist.

And certainly not by trying to control other people.

Quite the opposite.


Maybe empowerment begins when I finally realize:

I don't need to control you in order to be ME-IN-POWER.


You get to choose your behavior.

I get to choose mine.

You get to choose your words.

I get to choose what meaning I attach to them.

You get to choose whether you support my dream.

I get to choose whether I continue pursuing it.

You get to choose whether you apologize.

I get to choose whether I continue carrying the pain.

You get to choose whether you speed up.

I get to decide what I do next.


Now THAT is power.


A PROFESSOR MOMENT
So today, I want to leave you with a question.

Maybe even grab your journal and spend a few minutes with this one:

Where in my life am I still saying, “They won't let me…”?


Don't rush past it.

Pause.

Reflect.

Listen.


Who—or what—have you unknowingly given power over your peace, your joy, your dreams, your confidence, or your future?

And then ask yourself one more question:


What is actually within MY power?

Maybe you can't control the car beside you.

Maybe you can't control the person who disappointed you.

Maybe you can't rewrite yesterday.

Maybe you can't determine what tomorrow brings.

But you can decide what you do with THIS MOMENT.


You can choose your next thought.

Your next response.

Your next action.

Your next step.

Your next lane.

And sometimes…

that is all the power we need.


Today, I choose to live a little less from the outside-in…

and a little more from the inside-out.

I choose…

ME-IN-POWER.

Perhaps you will join me.


Until our next cup of coffee…

Keep pausing.

Keep reflecting.

Keep growing.

And above all…

Keep Your Power.


Let's Transform This World Together… Starting With…

YOURS... MINE... OURS!!!


-The Professor


PS...


Join our Telegram Channel:

https://t.me/CoffeeWithTheProfessor


If you missed our last Coffee With The Professor Video Post, you can view that here:


https://youtu.be/-NnDr6mJro4?si=BVhDks8sizToZWRn

Good morning Beautiful People. Here is what I meditated to this morning. This is such a powerful message from one of my mentors from afar... Dr. Wayne Dyer. It is over one hour. I listen and meditate to this in segments. 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes... whatever works for you. What a way to start one's day.

Good Day Beautiful People,

I had every intention of having a new Coffee With The Professor Video Post waiting for you this morning.

But sometimes… the Professor has to listen to the Professor. 😊

Yesterday, I wasn’t feeling quite 100%, and rather than push myself simply because something was on the schedule, I decided to honor what my body was telling me.

Pause. Rest. Reset.

Interesting how life gives us opportunities to practice the very things we so often talk about.

So, I didn’t record yesterday.

And that’s okay.

The new plan is to record our next Coffee With The Professor and have it ready for you Sunday morning.

Perhaps there is a little Professor Moment in this for all of us:

Everything doesn’t have to happen exactly when we planned for it to still happen beautifully.

Sometimes wisdom is knowing when to push.

And sometimes wisdom is knowing when to pause.

I’m feeling better today, and I’m looking forward to sitting down with my cup, turning on the camera, and continuing our conversation together.

So grab your coffee, tea, or favorite beverage and meet me back here Sunday morning.

Until then…

Keep pausing.
Keep reflecting.
Keep growing.

And when necessary… give yourself permission to RESET.

Let’s Transform This World Together… Starting With…

YOURS!!!


The Professor

Good Day Beautiful People,

I want to begin today with a question.


Who has your power?


Or perhaps a better question is...

Who have you unknowingly GIVEN your power to?


A few years ago, I was driving my daughter to school.

I was already a little irritated that morning. I don't even remember why.

As we approached the school, I needed to move from the left lane into the right lane. I turned on my signal, checked my mirrors and blind spot, and it appeared that the driver behind me in the right lane suddenly sped up.

And I exclaimed...


“Doggone it! They wouldn't let me...”

My daughter asked:

“Dad, what's wrong?”


And before I could finish my sentence...

Something hit me.


“THEY wouldn't LET ME...”

Those four words revealed something about how I had been living much of my life.


They wouldn't let me...

He did this to me...

She did that to me...

That's not fair...

Without realizing it, I had been placing my power somewhere OUTSIDE OF ME.

I Carry The Weather Inside Of Me
One of my favorite teachers from afar, Louise Hay, said something that has stayed with me:


“I carry the weather inside of me.”


Beautiful People, I don't get to dictate everything that happens around me.

Neither do you.

There will be storms.

People will sometimes disappoint us.

Relationships may change.

Plans may fall apart.

People we love may leave this side before we're ready.

Life will sometimes happen in ways we never would have chosen.

And acknowledging that does NOT mean pretending the pain isn't real.

It doesn't excuse what someone may have done.

It doesn't mean that something unfair suddenly becomes fair.

It simply raises a different question:


Who gets to determine the weather INSIDE OF ME?

That is where today's Coffee With The Professor conversation takes us.


☕ Coffee With The Professor — The Conversation Continues
In our latest video, I share the story of that morning with my daughter and the realization that followed.

We talk about...

DIS-EMPOWERMENT.

Disconnected from power.

And...


EMPOWERMENT.

ME-IN-POWER.


We talk about learning to live more from the INSIDE OUT instead of allowing everything happening outside of us to determine what's happening within us.


We talk about storms.

Loss.

Relationships.

Forgiveness.

Faith.

Compassion.

Green pastures.

Still waters.

And yes...

I even talk about why I have conversations with bees and wasps. 😂


It's Coffee With The Professor.

You never quite know where the conversation is going to take us. ☕️😂

But beneath all of it is a question I invite you to sit with:

WHO—or WHAT—have I allowed to have too much influence over the weather inside of me?
Grab your coffee.

Your tea.

Your cappuccino.

Your frappe.

Or whatever your favorite beverage may be.

Come have a seat.



Let's pause.

Let's reflect.

And let's have another transformative conversation.



WATCH HERE:

https://youtu.be/47j1qhVkQyw


And after watching, please leave me a comment.

Tell me what resonated.

Tell me what challenged you.

Tell me what made you think.

Your comment may become the catalyst for our next conversation.


And if you're finding value in Coffee With The Professor, please LIKE the video, SUBSCRIBE to the channel and SHARE it with someone you believe could benefit from our conversations.


We're building this community one beautiful person at a time.

And I am grateful that you're one of them.

Until our next conversation...

Carry the weather inside of you.

The storm around you doesn't have to become the storm within you.


Keep pausing.

Keep reflecting.

Keep growing.

And...


Let's Transform This World Together... Starting With...

YOURS!!!

MINE!!!

OURS!!!


☕️ Keep On Sipping.

Join our FREE Telegram:



https://t.me/CoffeeWithTheProfessor

☕ Coffee With The Professor: The Journey Is The Lesson

Good Day Beautiful People,


Come on in.

Have a seat.

Pour yourself a cup of coffee, tea, water, or whatever beverage makes you smile.

And before we do anything else...

Pause.

Take a slow breath in.

And release it.


One more.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Now...


Welcome to another Coffee With The Professor. ☕

Over the past several weeks, you and I have been having quite the conversation.


We have talked about releasing.

We have talked about forgiving.

We have talked about gratitude.

We have talked about knowing that we are worthy.

We have talked about being present.

We have explored the difference between RE-ACTING and RESPONDING.

We have talked about EMPOWERMENT — ME-IN-POWER.

And most recently, we have talked about the power of a RESET.

At first glance, those may seem like completely different conversations.



But are they?

This morning, I invite you to look at them differently.

Perhaps they aren't separate conversations at all.

Perhaps...

They are all part of the same journey.


The Journey Is The Lesson
As you read this, I am preparing to spend the next few days on the road.

There has been quite a bit going on in my personal world over the last several days, and now I will be helping my lady friend and her two daughters move across the country.


So there will be highways.

There will be stops.

There will probably be traffic.

There may be detours.

There will undoubtedly be moments when things don't go exactly according to plan.


And somewhere in thinking about this trip, another thought settled into me...

Isn't that life?


We spend so much time trying to get somewhere.

Trying to reach the destination.

Trying to accomplish the goal.

Trying to get through the difficult season.

Trying to get to the place where everything finally makes sense.

But what if some of our greatest transformation isn't waiting for us at the destination?


What if...

The journey is the lesson?

Think about that for a moment.


Look How Far You've Traveled
Sometimes we become so focused on where we are going that we forget to appreciate how far we have already traveled.

That is one reason I believe reflection is so important.


When we PAUSE, we create space to see.

When we REFLECT, we create space to understand.

When we RELEASE, we stop dragging yesterday into tomorrow.

When we practice GRATITUDE, we begin recognizing what is already good.

When we remember that we are WORTHY, we stop requiring the outside world to validate what must first be known within.

When we become PRESENT, we stop allowing yesterday's regrets and tomorrow's fears to steal today.

When we learn to RESPOND instead of RE-ACT, we reclaim our ability — our power — to choose.

When we practice EMPOWERMENT — ME-IN-POWER, we stop handing the steering wheel of our lives to THEY... HE... SHE... THEM... or IT.

And sometimes...

We simply need to hit RESET and begin again.


Do you see it?

It's all connected.

Perhaps Coffee With The Professor has never really been about a collection of topics.

Perhaps we have simply been talking about different parts of the same journey:


BECOMING.

Becoming more aware.

Becoming more conscious.

Becoming more intentional.

Becoming more loving.

Becoming more forgiving.

Becoming more peaceful.

Becoming more empowered.

Becoming more...

YOU.


Who Is Driving?
Since we're talking about road trips, let me ask you a question.

Who is driving your life?


I don't mean who is sitting behind the steering wheel of your car.

I mean...

Who or what has their hands on the steering wheel of YOU?

Is it fear?

Is it something that happened years ago?

Is it someone's opinion of you?

Is it disappointment?

Is it anger?

Is it regret?

Is it the need for someone else's approval?

Is it uncertainty about the future?

Or...


Are YOU behind the wheel?

That's empowerment.

ME-IN-POWER.


Not controlling everyone around me.

Not demanding that life always cooperate with my plans.

Not pretending that difficult things don't happen.

But recognizing...

I get to choose who I will BE while they are happening.

I may not control the traffic.

I may not control the weather.

I may not control the detour.

I may not control what someone else says or does.

But...

I carry the weather inside of me.


The storm around me does not have to become the storm within me.

That doesn't mean I will always get it right.

I won't.

Neither will you.

And that's okay.

Because this journey isn't about perfection.

It's about transformation.

It's about becoming.


Your Professor Moment
So today, wherever you happen to be on your journey, I invite you to ask yourself:

Where am I?


Not geographically.

Internally.

Emotionally.

Spiritually.

Relationally.

Financially.

Where am I?

And then ask:



Where am I going?

And finally...


Who am I becoming along the way?

Don't ask those questions from a place of judgment.

Ask them from a place of evaluation.

Because maybe you aren't where you ultimately want to be.

But Beautiful One...

You're not where you started either.


Celebrate that.

Perhaps you have learned to pause before responding.

Celebrate it.

Perhaps you're learning to forgive.

Celebrate it.

Perhaps you're learning to release something you've carried for years.

Celebrate it.

Perhaps you're beginning to recognize your worth.

Celebrate it.

Perhaps you're learning to remain calm while the world around you is chaotic.

Celebrate it.

Perhaps you had to hit RESET yesterday...

Or maybe you need to hit it today.

Celebrate that too.


Because even recognizing that something needs to change...

is evidence that you are becoming more aware.

And awareness creates the possibility for choice.

Choice creates the possibility for change.

And change creates the possibility for transformation.


Before We Finish Our Coffee...
Over these next few days, I'll spend a lot of time looking through a windshield.

There will be miles ahead of me.

There will also be a rearview mirror reminding me of the miles already traveled.

And maybe there is another lesson hiding there.

The windshield is much larger than the rearview mirror for a reason.

We can glance backward.

We can learn from what is behind us.

We can appreciate where we've been.

But we weren't designed to drive forward while constantly staring backward.

There is more road ahead.


More life.

More love.

More lessons.

More opportunities.

More growth.

More becoming.

So Beautiful One...


Keep your hands on the wheel.

Stay present.

Release what needs releasing.

Forgive what needs forgiving.

Be grateful for the scenery.

Remember that you are worthy.

Respond instead of react.

Reset whenever necessary.

And above all...

Enjoy the journey.


Because perhaps the destination isn't the only point.

Perhaps...

THE JOURNEY IS THE LESSON.


Until our next cup of coffee...


Keep pausing.

Keep reflecting.

Keep growing.

And remember...

It's not about being perfect.

It's about being on the journey.


Let's Transform This World Together...

Starting With...


YOURS.

MINE.

OURS.

☕❤️

Join our FREE Telegram:


https://t.me/CoffeeWithTheProfessor

Good Friday Beautiful People. I will be getting on the road early tomorrow morning for a cross country trip. I have prepared a "Coffee With The Professor" post that will be emailed on Monday. However, I wanted to get it to you before I get on the road.

I want to thank all of you for your subscribing to this channel. For reading the posts and more importantly internalizing the posts. One of our community members has consistently provided her insight to Coffee With The Professor. So with this post, I want to feature, Josie. I have come to call her responses back to me as "Tea With Josie." I know you will find value in this post. And since I believe you will... I am going to ask you to also forward it to someone that you love along with this Telegram link. Thank you for that consideration.

☕🫖 Coffee With The Professor... With a Little Tea With Josie

Good Day Beautiful People,

Come on in.

Pull up a chair.


You know the routine by now.

Coffee? ☕

Tea? 🫖

Water?

Or perhaps something else that makes your soul smile?

Today, however, I think I may pour myself a little tea.

Why?

Because today...

We're having Tea With Josie. 🫖💛


Sometimes The Student Becomes The Teacher
Beautiful People, one of the things I have loved most about our Coffee With The Professor journey is watching these conversations become more than words in an email.


You read.

You pause.

You reflect.

You challenge yourselves.

You share.


And occasionally, someone sends something back to me that causes The Professor to become the student.


One person who has consistently done that is our beautiful community member, Josie.


Josie has responded to Coffee With The Professor posts again and again with thoughtful reflections of her own.

Her responses became so consistent—and so good—that somewhere along the way, I started calling them...

Tea With Josie. 🫖😊


After our most recent conversation, “The Journey Is The Lesson,” Josie sent another response.

And as I read it, I thought...

This shouldn't remain in my inbox.

There is something here for all of us.

So today, I'm going to move my coffee over just a little bit...

Make some room at the table...

And allow Josie to pour the tea.


🫖 Tea With Josie

Josie wrote:

Hello, Professor! ☕💛

What an amazing discussion—another Coffee with the Professor masterclass.


I love how you used the journey you're about to take as a reflection of the journey of life. As you spoke, I thought again about the importance of responding versus reacting and the empowerment that becomes available to us when an encounter occurs.


Think about the highway: every car has a driver, and every driver is making choices. Someone changes lanes, traffic slows down, an unexpected detour appears, or another driver behaves in a way we didn't expect. We cannot always control what the other driver does, but we can choose how we respond.


In many ways, the highway on the road reflects the highway of life. How we navigate what happens around us can reveal our reactions, responses, behaviors, and even our character.


There is so much in what you shared that I could continue writing, but I'm going to practice what we've been talking about and Pause and Reflect. 😊 There is a lot here to breathe in, reflect upon, and allow to become part of the journey.


And one more important thought as you prepare for your trip: may you remember that God is with you in your going out and your coming in. May the journey be safe and filled with laughter, good conversation, singing, and beautiful moments along the way. 🙏🏾


Thank you again, Professor, for continuing to be a beacon of hope and light to your community.


The journey is the lesson. So enjoy the journey. ☕🚗


Beautiful People...


Did you catch it?

There are several nuggets in there.

But one sentence grabbed me:


“Every car has a driver, and every driver is making choices.”


WOW!!!

Josie...

You'd better TEACH!!! 😂🫖


Who's Driving?
Let's stay with Josie's analogy for a moment.

Imagine yourself traveling down the highway.

There are hundreds of vehicles around you.

Every vehicle has a driver.

And every one of those drivers is making decisions.

One speeds up.

Another slows down.

Someone cuts you off.

Someone refuses to let you merge.

Someone is driving 47 mph in the passing lane...

Okay...

Professor...

PAUSE AND REFLECT. 😂😂😂


But you get the point.

I cannot control the person in the vehicle beside me.

I cannot control the person behind me.

I cannot control the person in front of me.

But there is one vehicle for which I have responsibility.

MINE.

And there is one driver whose choices are ultimately my responsibility.

ME.

Isn't that life?

We spend an enormous amount of energy attempting to control other people's vehicles.


Why did THEY do that?

Why didn't HE do this?

Why did SHE say that?

Why won't THEY change?

Why don't THEY understand?

Why can't THEY see it?


And

while we're busy watching everybody else's vehicle...

Who's driving ours?


Response Reveals Character
Josie made another observation that I don't want us to miss:


“How we navigate what happens around us can reveal our reactions, responses, behaviors, and even our character.”


That one deserves a pause.

Because empowerment isn't simply about what we say when everything is going our way.

Character often reveals itself when someone...

cuts us off.

Not necessarily on the highway.


Maybe someone disappoints you.

Maybe someone says something hurtful.

Maybe someone doesn't keep their word.

Maybe the opportunity doesn't materialize.

Maybe the relationship changes.

Maybe the money doesn't arrive when expected.

Maybe life suddenly puts up a giant orange sign that says:

DETOUR.


Now what?

Do I automatically RE-ACT?

Do I replay an old pattern?

Do I allow someone else's behavior to determine mine?

Or...

Do I PAUSE?

Do I REFLECT?

And then...

Do I consciously choose my RESPONSE?


Beautiful People, THAT is...

ME-IN-POWER.

Empowerment Doesn't Mean Control
This is an important distinction.

Being empowered doesn't mean:

I control everything that happens.

It means:

Everything that happens doesn't have to control me.


Read that again.

Everything that happens doesn't have to control me.

Someone else may choose anger.

I can choose peace.

Someone else may choose disrespect.

I can choose how I respond.

Someone else may choose chaos.

I don't have to invite that chaos to move into my internal home, unpack its bags, put its feet on my furniture, and start rearranging the place. 😂

I can observe it.

I can learn from it.

I can establish boundaries around it.

And sometimes...

I can simply keep driving.


Maybe That's The Bigger Lesson
Something else happened while reading Josie's message.

I realized that Tea With Josie represents exactly what I hope happens through these conversations.


I don't want you simply reading Coffee With The Professor.

I don't want these to become motivational words that make us feel good for five minutes before we return to life exactly as we were.

I want us to...


PAUSE.

REFLECT.

QUESTION.

INTERNALIZE.

PRACTICE.

And ultimately...

TRANSFORM.


Josie took something from our conversation and looked at it through her own lens.

Then she handed it back to me...

And helped ME see something else.

That's community.

That's conversation.

That's growth.

The Professor doesn't always have to be the teacher.

Sometimes...

The Professor needs a little Tea With Josie. 🫖💛


☕ Your Professor Moment
So before we finish our coffee—and our tea—today, I have a few questions for you.

Think about the highway of your life.


Who is driving?

Are you consciously choosing your direction?

Or are the actions of other drivers determining how you drive?

When someone cuts you off emotionally...

Who do you become?


When life sends you on an unexpected detour...

Who do you become?


When traffic slows and your timeline doesn't unfold as quickly as you hoped...

Who do you become?


When you encounter something you simply cannot control...

Who do you become?


Maybe that is one of life's greatest classrooms.

Because the journey doesn't only reveal where we're going.

Sometimes...

The journey reveals who we're becoming.


And THAT...

Beautiful People...

may be the lesson within the lesson.


One Last Sip...
Josie ended her note to me with these words:

“The journey is the lesson. So enjoy the journey.”

I receive that, Josie. ❤️

And I thank you.


Thank you for reading.

Thank you for reflecting.

Thank you for consistently contributing to this conversation.

Thank you for reminding The Professor that sometimes...

he needs to sit down, be quiet, and drink his tea. 😂🫖


And to every Beautiful Person reading this...

Today...


Drive your vehicle.

Stay in your power.

Pause when necessary.

Reflect often.

Respond consciously.

Take the detours when life requires them.

Look through the windshield more than the rearview mirror.

Enjoy some scenery along the

way.

And remember...


You cannot control every other driver on the highway.

But you get to decide who sits behind the wheel of YOU.

The journey continues.

And...

THE JOURNEY IS THE LESSON.


Until our next cup...


Keep pausing.

Keep reflecting.

Keep growing.

Keep sipping


Let's Transform This World Together...

Starting With...


YOURS.

MINE.

OURS.

☕🫖❤️

The Professor


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