Sorry, this one got deleted by the troubled IT guy a few months ago and I think it messed up some links. Here it is again.
A group of working adults got together to visit their University lecturer. The lecturer was happy to see them. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
The Lecturer just smiled and went to the kitchen to get an assortment of cups – some porcelain, some in plastic, some in glass, some plain looking and some looked rather expensive and exquisite.
The Lecturer offered his former students the cups to get drinks for themselves.
When all the students had a cup in hand with water, the Lecturer spoke:
“If you noticed, all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal that you only want the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you wanted was water, not the cup, but we unconsciously went for the better cups.”
“Just like in life, if Life is Water, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold or maintain Life, but the quality of Life doesn’t change.”
“If we only concentrate on the cup, we won’t have time to enjoy or taste the water in it.”
A great reminder to something so very true. Life and health are the most precious things we have and so many of us spend so much time and energy stressing about everything else.
Totally agree Sandy – even though I’ve become remarkably unambitious in the last little while. “If it ain’t fun, I ain’t doin’ it” seems to be a good motto to live by.
Seriously love this. Thanks for reposting it.
Lindy Mint recently posted..The Worst Kind of Stuff
Thanks Lindy, I didn’t even realize it wasn’t linked up until Fab linked to it and it wasn’t there. Kind of fell off my radar, although it’s something I try to live by nowadays.
Hmmm. I would pick the plain and cheap cup…so I guess I AM frugal.
frugalscholar recently posted..Higher Food Prices in Perspective
FS, I think I’d probably be just cupping my hands and not using a cup at all. You can take a girl off the farm…
What a great post. I don’t know what I would have picked. Probably the cup that held the most and looked clean.
Wonderful lesson for sure.
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Nice story, Jacq.
In the old country, when you’re offered a glass of wine it’s likely to be in a regular tumbler, not a “fancy” long-stemmed chalice. What matters is not even the wine itself (although it’s usually decent), but the companionship.
101 Centavos recently posted..Centavos Model Portfolio Haz Sad Face
Absolutely Andrew! Get the right companionship and you don’t even notice the glass at all.