THE COFFEE OR THE CUP

 

A group of alumni, highly established in

their careers, got together to visit their

old university professor. Conversation

soon turned into complaints about stress

in work and life.

 

Offering his guests coffee, the professor

went to the kitchen and returned with a

large pot of coffee and an assortment of

cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal,

some plain looking, some expensive,

some exquisite - telling them to help

themselves to the coffee.

 

When all the students had a cup of

coffee in hand, the professor said:

'If you noticed, all the nice looking

expensive cups were taken up, leaving

behind the plain and cheap ones. While

it is normal for you to want only the

best for yourselves, that is the source of

your problems and stress. Be assured

that the cup itself adds no quality to the

coffee. In most cases it is just more

expensive and in some cases even hides

what we drink. What all of you really

wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you

consciously went for the best cups...

And then you began eyeing each

other's cups.

 

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the

jobs, money and position in society are

the cups. They are just tools to hold and

contain Life, and the type of cup we

have does not define, nor change the

quality of life we live. Sometimes, by

concentrating only on the cup, we fail

to enjoy the coffee  provided us.'

 

Brew the coffee, not the cups . Enjoy

your coffee!

 

'The happiest people don't have the best

of everything. They just make the best

of everything.'

 

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Leave the rest alone