I recently met up with some old chums at our local cafe and our chat
reminded me that life can sometimes be like a cup of coffee...
The best way I can explain that is through a story, so here we go...
A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. The conversation soon turned into complaints about the stresses 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 new-looking expensive cups have been 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. So savour the coffee, not the cups! And remember, to be happy you don't have to have the best of everything. You just need to make the best of everything.
So live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly….and your life will be fully lived."
The story illustrates how we can sometimes complicate life when in fact we should aim to focus on what is really important to us and those that we care for.
Can you do this? Yes, I'm sure you can.
To your success...
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I’m passionate about inspiring people to tap
into their unique talents and strengths – to be the best they can be –
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Mark Russell Inspired Performance Coaching – Dedicated to Your Success.
