Swami���s Deadlines and Jigneshbhai���s Coffee

Last weekend, when we met for coffee, Swami���s phone buzzed like a swarm of angry bees. Notifications flashed. Emails piled up. Deadlines closed in like storm clouds.

Across the table, next to me, Jigneshbhai stirred his coffee slowly, as if he had all the time in the world.

Swami, on the other hand, clearly didn���t. He was hunched over his phone, muttering under his breath, his coffee sitting untouched and growing cold.

���This is a disaster, Jigneshbhai!��� he finally burst out. ���I have five things on my to-do, two hours, and an inbox full of people breathing down my neck!���

Jigneshbhai nodded and said nothing. He pushed Swami���s coffee cup closer to him, which only made Swami more agitated.

���Hang on. If I don���t send this report by noon, it���s over!���

Jigneshbhai raised an eyebrow. ���What���s over, Swami?��� he asked, nonchalantly.

Swami stared at him. ���You don���t get it! You have never worked for Raichand!!���

Jigneshbhai sipped his coffee calmly. ���Hmm.��� I took a bite of the chocolate muffin.

Swami waved his hands wildly. ���How can you guys sit there so calmly while I���m drowning in deadlines?���

Jigneshbhai smiled, the kind of smile that made Swami even more restless. He took another slow sip.

���We are just having our coffee hot,��� he said. ���While you ..well, work on your deadlines. Deadlines that apparently can���t be extended even while your coffee turns cold.���

Swami blinked. Then he glanced at his cold, untouched cup, and for a brief moment, he wasn���t sure whether to laugh, cry, or order another coffee.

A Moment to Pause

Watching them, I couldn���t help but wonder how often we confuse urgency with importance.

We rush from one task to another, convinced the world will collapse if we don���t meet every deadline.

Maybe the real task isn���t getting everything done ��� but remembering to pause for a sip of coffee along the way.

That���s when I saw the wealthy old man walk up to us from the adjoining table. ���The real deadline is to enjoy your coffee before it gets cold,��� he said, leaving all of us in splits.

Join Them at the Table

If you���ve ever been like Swami, drowning in deadlines, or like Jigneshbhai, sipping calmly through the chaos, you���ll enjoy their many conversations over coffee.

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