Monday, February 4, 2008

Meaningful Monday



A group of alumni, all highly established in their respective careers, got together for a visit with their old university professor. The conversation soon turned to complaints about the endless stress of work and life in general.
Offering his guests coffee, the professor went into the kitchen and soon returned with a large pot of coffee and an eclectic assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal - some plain, some expensive, some quite exquisite. Quietly he told them to help themselves to some fresh coffee.
When each of his former students had a cup of coffee in hand, the old professor quietly cleared his throat and began to patiently address the small gathering... ''You may have noticed that all of the nicer looking cups were taken up first, leaving behind the plainer and cheaper ones. While it is only natural for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is actually the source of much of your stress-related problems."
He continued...''Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In fact, the cup merely disguises or dresses up what we drink. What each of you really wanted was coffee, not a cup, but you instinctively went for the best cups... Then you began eyeing each other's cups.''
''Now consider this: Life is coffee. Jobs, money, and position in society are merely cups. They are just tools to shape and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not truly define nor change the quality of the Life we live. Often, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee that God has provided us... God brews the coffee, but he does not supply the cups. Enjoy your coffee!''The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have."
So please remember: Live simply. Love generously. Care Deeply. Speak Kindly. Leave The Rest To God.

Never Judge another person or compare them to someone else.
And remember - the richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've read this before and felt it was oh so true. We tend to forget the simple things in life that are the most important and go for the glitz, for all the trappings.

Thanks for posting this.

Diane@Diane's Place said...

Wise words indeed, and worthy of reading through more than once.

Hope your week is a good one, Jo. ;o)

Love and hugs,

Diane

Anonymous said...

Great post Jo. And I love, love the photo!!!!!

violetlady said...

Thank you, Jo, for reminding us of what is truly important in life.

Mary said...

A very wise post, Jo. Thanks so much for sharing. I enjoyed your visit and your comments about Griffyn. He's a darling.

Love and blessings,
Mary

Mountain Mama said...

This is a very enlightening story and a good reminder. Thanks for posting it.

Anonymous said...

Great Post!

But for some reason I'm now craving a cup of coffee...French Roast
*wink*

Unknown said...

Amen to that!

--

Be well.

Dave.

julia said...

That's a good one--reminds me of the Indiana Jones Last Crusade movie where they need to choose "the cup of Christ." The officer chooses a cup fit for a king, very fancy, and dies. Indie chooses the cup of the carpenter, simple and functional, and that's the true one: "you have chosen well."

It's all about the choices, eh?

smilnsigh said...

A lovely story.

Don't we all wish we had such a wise old professor, in our lives?

Thank you for providing one, for us, with this entry.

Mari-Nanci

Linds said...

I had not read this before, and it really resonated with me. Beautiful post!

Sage said...

JD's soapbox was recommended by Cindy's Snaps. I loved it and JD returned my comment. Now I am at yours and love it just as much. Thanks for a great blog, and wonderful words to live by.