In our last post, I shared the story of William Wilberforce a man who spent more than two decades pursuing the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.
He faced fierce opposition, chronic illness, bouts of depression, and numerous political setbacks. Yet, for over 20 years, he refused to give up, and his vision ultimately came to life the end of slavery in Great Britain.
While that kind of perseverance is rare, it’s equally important to understand how someone holds onto their purpose without letting adversity define them.
That’s where Damon West’s story and the coffee bean metaphor comes in.
West was a Division I college quarterback from Texas. But after a career-ending injury, his life took a dark turn. His response to losing the game he loved led him to a life of addiction and crime, culminating with a 65-year prison sentence.
As a former federal prosecutor, I’ve seen the sobering reality of sentences like these, and it’s completely devastating for most people in West’s position. While incarcerated, however, a fellow inmate shared a lesson with West that would begin to change him:
“Life is like a pot of boiling water,” the inmate told West. “You can respond like a carrot that gets soft and weak, like an egg that gets hard and bitter, or you can be like a coffee bean and change the water around you.”
That image galvanized Damon West, setting him on a course to influence countless others.
Most people let the environment change them especially when it’s full of heat and pressure, and you see no way out. But some choose to influence their surroundings, regardless of their circumstances. Set free by the good news of gospel, and understanding his new identity in Christ, Damon embraced that coffee bean mindset.
He stopped letting shame and regret define his view of himself and began imparting his story to others, mentoring his fellow inmates. After 7.5 years behind bars, West was granted early parole and left prison a changed man. Today he shares his message of hope with schools, sports teams, and business leaders around the world.
In fact, Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney was so inspired when West spoke to the Tigers that Swinney purchased West’s book, The Coffee Bean, for every player on the team. West has also spoken to the football teams at Alabama, Oklahoma, Georgia, and many others. This shows that people really can change and that this man who was once consumed with taking, is now devoted to encouraging and inspiring everyone he meets.