After everyone had a cup in hand, the professor said, "If you notice, all the nice-looking expensive cups have been taken up, leaving behind only 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 adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases, it's just more expensive and oftentimes even hides what we drink.
"What all of you really wanted was coffee and not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups. And then you began eyeing each other's cup. Now consider this: life is the coffee. The jobs, money, and position in society are the cups. They're 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.
"The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything."
--author unknown
The yummy of life is often concealed by things we don't want.
Have a great Tuesday.
Wow that is such a wonderful, inspiring post. Definitely sharing this one. :-)
ReplyDeleteInteresting, it's obviously a lesson about materialism, but then I've always been an advocate of materialism as a medium to interact with the world :)
ReplyDeleteThis posts holds a valuable lesson. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteDude, this post is profound. Yes, we often get distracted by the "wrapper".
ReplyDeleteI particularly liked this statement:
"life is the coffee." I sometimes forget this concept in my daily trials of life. Recently, I've had a couple incidents that remind me that my day life job is my chosen profession; and not just because it hired me. People make choices everyday about perception.
Thank you for this post. It really is something I needed to see, and be reminded of.
.......dhole
Great post. It's easy to get caught up in the material when we're seeking happiness.
ReplyDeleteThe job (and other things) are just a means to an end.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather have an energy drink than a coffee though.
And your blog background is a flower. I never noticed that before.
I had to look to see if this was your blog. So philosophical today. LOve that. When I was single and out with my friends, often we'd see a guy driving an awesome car. "Oh, look at the car that guy has," they'd say. Me? Yeah I can appreciate a fab car, but more important is the heart of the man driving that car.
ReplyDeleteGreat illustration to read in the morning. It's better to concentrate on what we have, rather than what we don't...and we have more than we often realize.
ReplyDeleteHi Michael .. it is a great story and so so true ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that, Mike. We don't consciously think about things like this, but it's how they seem to work. Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteAMEN!
ReplyDeleteI think they ripped that off from "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" where the Nazi guy drank from the fancy cup and died but Indy figured out that Jesus wouldn't have a fancy cup and thus found the holy grail.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. As someone who doesn't make a lot of money, I often feel like my life is pretty good just because I live somewhere beautiful, ride my bike to work, eat organic food, and have a few quality things instead of a bunch of useless crap. Quality of life is way more important than status or your bottom line. Life is the coffee!
ReplyDeleteSometimes, plastic cups taste bad. Just sayin'.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this! It's a good reminder for me :)
ReplyDeleteooh! This is great!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I totally agree with the comparison, since I think a person with a decent job does get a substantial boost to having a good life versus someone in a crappy job. On the other hand, it's mostly in a person's mind. I view my day job as a sad fact of life that I can't avoid if I wish to meet my responsibilities, but I view my passions outside of work as my real 'life'--chess, music, writing, movies. It's the creative arts that matter to me most, so that's what I live for!
ReplyDeleteGreat post and philosophy. This is what I need today so that I can unpack instead of "shop" to improve.
ReplyDeleteThis post is a bit different from your usual, very uplifting and spiritual. Thanks for the lift this morning.
ReplyDeleteBravo! Love love love it.
ReplyDeleteGreat reminder.
BTW thanks for commenting in my first page yesterday. :)
A noble sentiment but I don't think you can deny people's desire for a nice cup (perhaps with Garfield on the side). We just like shiny crap for some reason.
ReplyDeletemood
What? I can't have my tea in the best English porcelain cups purchased from Neiman Marcus? And no silver spoon from Williams Sonoma to stir it? What shall I do? How shall I live? I mean, I am special hence I deserve the best...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the sweet story, Michael.
All I could think was that a bigger cup could get me more coffee - or a better insulated one keep it warm longer - but I suppose I see the point. Even if I don't want to sometimes.
ReplyDeleteLove, love, LOVE.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant, Michael.
(I've been without internet for days! Glad to be "back")
:D
Nice story today. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that. Something to always remember.
ReplyDeleteI love that. Thank you. Though mind you, I think that the cup does make a difference. Nothing tastes much good from a cardboard or polystyrene cup.
ReplyDeleteHi, Michael.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the message, HOWEVER ... When I was a boy my mom and grandmother always drank their tea or coffee in bone china cups. Doesn't matter what the pattern. They said that the coffee/ tea tastes better.
Well, in reality ... it does. We are sensual and oral people, the SMOOTHNESS of the bone china enhances the beverage. If you are drinking from a clunky thick mug, the sensation IS different.
Try it sometime. So, as you well imagine, I drink from bone chine MUGS... not cups. LOL. Unless I am at Starbucks and then I deal with the synthetic cups. NOT the same. LOL.
No, I am not pretentious. LOL.
I like your post, especially the line about the cups being there to hold the coffee. Those fancy cups do make life easier, though, as long as you keep your main focus on the coffee.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reminding me of what's important.
ReplyDeleteIt's sort of like judging a book by its cover.
ReplyDeleteLove this post, Michael.
ReplyDeleteI had not thought of life in these terms before.
ReplyDeleteSomething to think about!
Pearl
A parable for our time, and no mistake. As compelling as any I've come across in a very long time. Excellent choice to post.
ReplyDeleteOver visiting from Elephant's Child, and found this inspiring. Will be back.
ReplyDeletesimple and profound.
ReplyDeleteALOHA from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
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