David Matthew Olatunji Bey
Published January 24, 2025
At a peaceful vegetarian haven nestled in the bustling heart of Ho Chi Minh City—Hum, Cafe & Restaurant—three wonderful souls gathered for dinner. The warm ambiance of the restaurant immediately embraced them, with its lush greenery, gentle water features, and soft lighting casting a serene glow over the bamboo-accented interior. The air was rich with the scent of freshly prepared plant-based dishes, each crafted with care from locally sourced ingredients. A calming, Zen-like atmosphere filled the space, making it feel like an oasis amid the city's vibrancy.
As they sat at the wooden table, surrounded by the soft murmur of conversation from other diners, a sense of tranquility washed over them. The delicate presentation of their meals mirrored the restaurant’s philosophy of harmony and mindfulness. There, amid the soothing surroundings, the three hearts connected on a deeper level, each feeling the energy of the moment.
After a pause in their conversation, one of them leaned forward and asked, “So, David, how did you share this message with others?”
David smiled thoughtfully and began to recount his journey, the setting as peaceful and grounding as the story he was about to tell.
“I travel to many places,” he replied. “In each destination, I share my story with the people I meet. Sometimes I am invited to speak to small groups. In 2016, I met with an agribusiness owner in India. After talking to me, he said enthusiastically, ‘Please take some time to speak to my group tomorrow morning.’”
The next morning, a group of about 40 people gathered around David. He was at a loss, not knowing what to say to them, not knowing where to start. He paused and sent a plea to Mother Earth for help, and he received a message back: Start with that coconut tree out there.
So David said to the group: “Look at that tall coconut tree out there. How are you going to get the coconuts? There are three options: A) You shake the tree really hard, so the coconuts fall down; B) You cut down the tree; or C) You climb up step by step to get the coconuts.”
Everyone looked at him, puzzled by the question, and replied, “Of course, it’s option C.” David then said, “That’s right, but why do we humans keep living according to options A and B?” A sudden silence fell over the room. Some frowned thoughtfully, others rested their chins in their hands, thinking.
After a while, David continued: “Option A—if you shake the coconut tree, there’s a risk that the coconuts will fall on your head, and you will die. And yet, we shake our lives violently and let a bunch of bad things fall on our heads. Worse still, option B—we cut down our coconut trees, not realizing that when we do, the coconut trees will die, and then we will have no more coconuts to drink. We are treating our Mother Earth in this way: cutting down forests, destroying ecosystems, polluting factories, etc. We only care about the immediate benefits, without thinking of the long-term consequences. Worse still, we are killing each other: wars, putting chemicals in food, and so on. People are killing themselves. Many often talk about The American Dream, but for me, it is more accurate to call it The Nightmare. The egos of many people here are huge. They always want more, and it never seems to be enough. And to have more, they will do anything, including trampling on their own people and destroying their own habitat. You don’t need a dream; what you need is an awakening.”
The real and meaningful life is the one in option C: we climb step by step, step by step, to pick the coconut and achieve the results we desire. It will be difficult, it will be slow, but that makes us appreciate the results we achieve. An athlete who achieves results without much effort will not know how to appreciate and maintain those results for a long time.
Outside, it was pouring rain, but inside the Hum restaurant, there was a warm atmosphere, with three hearts that had just been lit by the flames of inspiration from David’s story. At the end of the meal, David said, in the spirit of the book The Alchemist: “It is not by chance that I came to stay at your homestay. It is not by chance that the three of us had a conversation today. This is an unusual conversation. There is an arrangement; there is a sign from the Universe. Please share our inspiring conversation with others.
True wisdom and fulfillment come when we embrace life with patience and mindfulness. Like the steady climb up the coconut tree, we grow stronger and more appreciative through each deliberate step, rather than rushing or cutting corners. In both our personal journeys and the care we give to the Earth, lasting rewards come from nurturing, not destruction.
Let's Celebrate! I’ve just released my first book—Steamed Bread: Inside the Wall of a Chinese Tech Company! It's now available as an eBook PDF, and it’s full of stories that’ll inspire and intrigue you.
Get your copy here: buymeacoffee.com/davidbey/e/298758
Feeling generous? Treat me to a coconut or two to fuel more stories and fresh ideas. Your support is deeply appreciated as I continue to explore, create, and share new experiences. Cheers to the journey!
Copyright © 2024 by David Matthew Olatunji Bey
Photo by Hussain Niyaz