“People often say motivation doesn’t last… Well neither does bathing, that’s why we recommend it daily.”- Zig Ziglar

What delicious drink is the start of America’s morning? What caffeinated brew helps college students keep awake to finish their papers at 2 in the morning? What is the energy-giving source to get us through our “morning grind”?

Yes, that’s right, Coffee. We have to admit that in the United States we are pretty avid coffee fans. Think about it. According to Folger’s “It’s the best part of waking up” and “America runs of it” according to Dunkin’ Donuts. Starbucks, is a huge multi-million dollar chain solely run on selling coffee. As a culture we love coffee and I have to say that I am no exception.

Yep I am in love with that rich, dark, smell good, piping hot, caffeinated, drink. My unhealthy obsession may stem from the fact that anytime I go to the grocery store I have to go down the coffee bean aisle to get a whiff of that heavenly brew. Or maybe it was because I wanted to grow up and be like my Papa Bill with his slippers on and coffee mug in hand every morning. Whatever it is, my love for coffee has continued to grow and has only been fueled more by my entrance into college.

Now, I will have to admit that as a college student I probably do not drink too much above the average amount. But, on a brisk fall morning there is nothing better than sitting down and enjoying a Mocha Frappuccino that is piping hot. That feeling of the warm coffee going down and warming up your stomach, the feeling of the caffeine rushing through your veins and waking up entire body is a truly amazing experience for me.

This caffeine though, not only gets me, but also millions of other American’s across the nation, going and has been the morning startup for decades. Caffeine gives me the energy to go out and start my day off right and get my to-do list accomplished for the day!

But caffeine is not the only thing that gets me pumped and ready to take on the day’s challenges. Oh no, in the morning my fire gets a burnin’ if I start off my day with a run or swim workout. Or in midday my adrenaline starts to flow if I go out and play a game of soccer or volleyball. These things will get my body ready for the day and help keep it ready and going. But we have to think for ourselves what gets our minds and inspiration going every single day.

For me the caffeine, or energizers, of my inspiration can come from anything and everything. I don’t know how many times I have been going throughout my day and all of a sudden, BOOM, a jewel of inspiration comes along and motivates me to go out and do something. These gems of motivation have come from listening to a motivational speaker talk about constant and never-ending growth, having a conversation with an industry leader in agriculture about the need for students with good work ethic and hands on skills, or even from watching Paula Dean on the Food Network make a new twist on an old classic to name a few. The inspiration that I have comes from a variety of different sources but all has the same effect. It energizes me and gets me going just like my morning coffee does.

Think about what motivates and energizes you throughout your day. Is it going out and having a conversation with someone about an issue you are passionate about? Is your caffeine in the creation of a new recipe or developing a science experiment to test a new hypothesis? Is your motivation stemming from a motivational quote you have taped to your mirror or the set of goals you look at everyday? What is your caffeine in your life?