Can I Have a Hot Venti Matcha Latte? No Foam. No Classic. Oatmilk.

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to tell a barista exactly what you want, but how difficult it can be to tell the world?

A hot Venti Matcha Latte.

With oat milk.

No foam.

No classic.

Simple.

Specific.

No explanation required.

The barista doesn’t stare at you and ask, “Are you sure?”

They don’t tell you that everyone else orders it differently.

They don’t suggest you settle for whatever is easiest to make.

They simply take your order.

And somehow, that made me think about life.

Somewhere along the journey, many of us learn how to accept what is handed to us rather than ask for what we actually need.

We accept the schedule.

The expectations.

The responsibilities.

The labels.

The roles.

The obligations.

The version of life that everyone else seems comfortable with.

Then one day, we wake up and realize we’ve been living on someone else’s default settings.

The interesting thing about default settings is that most of us never consciously choose them.

We inherit them.

From family.

From culture.

From past experiences.

From expectations we never questioned.

Over time, we can become so accustomed to living according to someone else’s preferences that we forget to ask ourselves a simple question:

What do I actually want?

Not what is expected.

Not what is familiar.

Not what everyone else is ordering.

What truly aligns with who I am in this season?

Just like a drink can be customized, so can a life.

Maybe your “no foam” is removing the things that look good on the surface but add no real value.

The activities.

The commitments.

The relationships.

The expectations that create volume but not substance.

Maybe your “no classic” is deciding you no longer need the standard recipe everyone else expects you to follow.

The traditional path.

The predictable answer.

The version of success that belongs to someone else.

Perhaps growth is not about becoming more demanding.

Perhaps growth is becoming more clear.

Clear about what serves you.

Clear about what aligns with your values.

Clear about what season you are in.

Clear about what belongs and what no longer fits.

There is something powerful about reaching a place in life where you can say exactly what you want without apologizing for it.

Not because you are entitled.

Not because you are difficult.

But because you have finally learned yourself.

You know what fuels you.

You know what drains you.

You know what brings peace.

You know what creates unnecessary noise.

And once you know those things, why would you continue ordering a life you do not enjoy?

The truth is, maturity has less to do with age and more to do with clarity.

It is the courage to stop accepting whatever is handed to you and start creating a life that reflects who you are becoming.

So today, I have a question for you.

If your life were an order, what would you ask for?

And more importantly…

What would you finally remove?

Because sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is stop settling for the default settings.

The goal is not to become someone else.

The goal is to become more fully yourself.

Reflection

What in your life currently feels like “foam”—present, visible, but not adding real value?

What “classic” expectations have you outgrown?

What would it look like to confidently ask for what truly serves you in this season?

Journey Through The Seasons With Me.

To Everything There Is A Season.

It’s your season. Go and live.

— Dr. Tasheka L. Green