Enjoy the coffee, not the cup

TheWeek - COFFEEBREAK - AUGUST 08 2007 ISSUE 231

A group of alumni, who were highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. The conversation soon turned into complaints about stress at 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 normal to want only the best, 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. The jobs, houses, cars, things, money, and position in society are the cups.

They are just used to hold and contain life. The type of cup we have does not define nor change the quality of the 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 is perfect. It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections. Live in peace and peace will live in you.

Sent by Maie al Baiat