(Hmm… What song is this? Sounds so soothing… Its rhythm as well.) Betha lifted her gaze from her laptop screen and let it loose focus in the space, perhaps 45degree above from her eye level. She was enjoying her Saturday afternoon at a café. This café has been her favourite, not only because of its ambience that didn’t make her feel crowded, be it by the patrons or the layout of the tables and chairs. The songs that this café have, have been and still to her liking. Not too much of the pop or hitz songs as radio stations often play. Not so much of the impactful beats brought out by certain musical instruments. (It’s just… cozy. Yeah, feels cozy.) Betha took a sip on her cappuccino and a light smile spotted on her face. She continued working on her hobby, i. e. write something. Her fingers tapped, tapped on the keyboard of her laptop.
Most of the songs played in the café didn’t bring any familiarity Betha. (Almost 80% of them, I haven’t heard of before. Where they find these songs?) She wondered.
For a Do-er like Betha, she took the effort to try searching for such similar song playlist from YouTube Music, during one of her workdays in the office. ‘Coffee shop’ she typed and clicked on the search.
(Wow… so many…)
Some similar ‘vibe’ to ‘coffee shop’ songs playlist popped up on her laptop screen. She simply chose one playlist and had it played; music started to flow through her headset, into her ears. She focused was then go back to her daily report which due on that day, Wednesday.
(This song sounds bored… Pop songs sound better.) Betha thought of this when she typed half-way a replying email to her superior.
(This song is a bit noisy… The drum beats in the rhythm are… loud…) Betha frowned her eyebrows as she can’t focus on analysis work she tried to think.
(Aargh… This playlist is just no good.) She clicked the ‘x’ and closed the YouTube page instead. “Jeez…” Her office was then left with only the slight sound from her typing action that hit onto the keyboard.
Betha failed to play any cozy playlist at her workday, as she can’t find one playlist as soothing as what this café has.
(Strange… Why?) Betha took a bite on the butter coffee that was complimented to her cappuccino. She has finished the short writing work that she has set for herself, in this weekend.
(Let me see…)
Her monkey mind was activated and her analytically mind has also switched on, concurrently.
(At work, what I listen to the most? Emm… pop song and hitz songs, be it popular at the moment or years back songs. Most of them were familiar ones, I heard of them before and some, I can even sing along. Those can help to boost my energy and pull myself together on the mind-stretching works. Yeah, that’s pretty much to it.)
Her eyes were looking at the child across the road. That child was peddling on his three-wheel bicycle along the well-paved walkway next to the children playground. His guardian (could be his mother) was paying attention to the child, from behind; ensuring his safety. It’s quite a distance from the café to the children playground. The cheers from the children or kids won’t echo to the place where the café was located.
(I think… I found the answer.)
She stayed silence, enjoyed the song that was played in the café. A song that she wouldn’t be picking up to listen if she has a chance, at work or at home. But now, she just went along with it, as if she was the one that blended into the atmosphere in the café.
(It’s the mood.)
(I’m here to relax, on this Saturday afternoon. I don’t have piles of work that I need to rush finishing; I have no analysing work that I have to submit to my boss for decision-making use… I’m just here to RELAX.)
The slight eucalyptus scent swoop into her senses. Betha inhaled and relaxed further. (That’s my favourite scent. How come I didn’t smell it just now? Interesting. They had citrus scent last week.) It was the fragrance or perhaps perfume that was used by the café. It was just mild fragrance that won’t kill of the meal’s flavour that one was eating nor the coffee fragrance one was tasting. (Yeah, I know that fragrance of coffee beans can eliminate any other fragrance that our nose has smelled of. I mean, it won’t ‘interrupt’ or mess up the enjoyment of any patron’s dining moment.)
(Next would be the mindset, I guess.)
Betha heard the waitress politely delivering her thanks to their guests while sending them off to the entrance door.
(Before I came here – this café – I had already tuned my mind that I’d be having a relaxing Saturday afternoon here. I’d be having a relaxing moment here. So, the power of mindset has somewhat allowed myself to emerge into the environment; vibe along the rhythm this place is having and even get along with the surroundings, such as the interactions people have or soft conversation from the next table’s guests. I don’t get bothered by any of those, but just vibe along…)
(If I have to decide or make a decision to it, maybe I won’t be picking up the song in their playlist. It could have bored my workday or my journey from office to home. Because, I choose. I want something that I love listening to or what I intend to hear at that moment. Be it news or documentary.)
(Now, I am not doing any of those. I let loose mentally and physically – my body. I am here to RELAX and be in the moment.) Betha’s edge of her lips tilted up some angles. She drank her cappuccino that has slightly turned warm. If anyone saw her smiling to herself without any headset plugged in, they might find her weird. But Betha didn’t care much. Why bother such a small matter?
(No wonder, their playlists always sound so nice to my ears. Now, I know.)
“Excuse me, could I have this one please?” “Yes, sure. We’d serve it to you in a sec.” Betha placed an order – desserts – that has its photo perfectly captured and shown on their menu. (I want to try this one. Looks so yummy.)
Her analytically mind was still in active mode.
(IF… If… we could apply this kind of pre-set mood and mindset onto our daily life, wouldn’t it help? Our daily interaction with people, family and so on, could at times, clashes in opinions. Because each of us holding onto our wants, our needs, our preferences… Not many would compromise, especially when we are dealing with our closed ones, we tend to show our true self. Like me, my ‘big sister’ behaviour was clearly demonstrated at home, when I was talking to my siblings or even my parents. Oops!)
(IF I could pre-set my mood and mindset, that it’d be fine and I could get along in any situation and not a big deal to ‘fight and win’ in every single thing… Wouldn’t it be much better? More harmony, it’d be. I think.)
(Even my emotional swing will be reduced. My short-tempered anger won’t easily get triggered.) Betha recalled the quotes she read many times from the wisdom quote posters –
‘BE IN THE MOMENT. Balance your emotions. Calm your minds.’
(Interesting findings. Let me try. No harm trying. I can see the pros are out weight the cons there might be. I, too, will be the benefited party, am I not?) “Ha-ha…” Betha was humoured by her mindset that can’t seem to avoid her daily activity in ‘cost-benefit analysis’ mode, not even on weekends!
If anyone happened to patron this café on the weekends, they might see one of the regular customers of this café – Betha – who always have cappuccino with her and one who carries a light smile that can’t hide her relaxing mood.
No one knows what she was smiling at or for. It could be as simple as the cute design on the menu or the spoon that has a kitty paw that matches to her cappuccino cup with a pair of cat ears; the beautiful lyrics in the song she has just heard; the harmony interactions among the family members that occupied the big table outside of the café; the cartoon image look-alike clouds or that little good deed or gesture from one human to another.