Chad Engle
12-27-2006, 08:56 AM
LIFE IS THE COFFEE
A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together
to visit their old university professor. The 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,
and some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.
After 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 but 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's 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 began eyeing each other's cups." "
Now consider this: Life is the coffee, and the jobs, houses, cars, things,
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 God has provided us. God brews the coffee, not
the cups ... enjoy your coffee. "Being happy doesn't mean everything's
perfect. It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections."
Live in peace and peace will live in you. Worry doesn't help tomorrow's
troubles, but it does ruin today's happiness.
A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together
to visit their old university professor. The 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,
and some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.
After 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 but 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's 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 began eyeing each other's cups." "
Now consider this: Life is the coffee, and the jobs, houses, cars, things,
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 God has provided us. God brews the coffee, not
the cups ... enjoy your coffee. "Being happy doesn't mean everything's
perfect. It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections."
Live in peace and peace will live in you. Worry doesn't help tomorrow's
troubles, but it does ruin today's happiness.