The black-bean count
Force an unreasonable request to account for every cost it tries to hide.
What you’ll need
- Nine dried black beans
- A small bowl
- Paper and pencil
The ritual
- Place one bean in the bowl for each visible cost of the request.
- Use the remaining beans for hidden costs such as time, stress, risk, or lost opportunity.
- Count them aloud and write the full list beneath the bowl.
- Return the beans to the pantry and use the list when you refuse or renegotiate the request.