Thursday, September 16, 2010

The Coffee Cup Analogy

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university lecturer. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
Offering his guests coffee, the lecturer went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, some plain-looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the lecturer said: “If you noticed, all the nice-looking, expensive cups were 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. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other’s cups.”
“Now, if Life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn’t change. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it.”
So please, don’t let the cups drive you…enjoy the coffee instead.

14 comments:

  1. Very well said. Indeed, thank you. I needed that.

    Cheers!

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  2. snap...that is a rather well thought analogy...i like my chipped cup. smiles.

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  3. I totally agree with that! I've know too many people worried about the "cup" instead of the important stuff...
    great post!

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  4. Can I steal this? Well, and give you credit. Brilliant

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  5. Bubbashelby: No problem, had to share!

    halloween spirit: Wish I knew WHO said it first!

    Frog Queen: I needed it, too.

    Brian: I have a 20+ year old mug I like, too.

    Pat: Glad you like. :)

    Kate: Share away! Give credit back to Age of Reason, at the bottom of the post, since that is where I came across it first!

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  6. It's so stupid, but I'm such a facebook junkie these days I'm always looking for the "like" thingummy...

    Good stuff, Wings!

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  7. I drink my Merlot and coffee out of the same cup. Which is also the same cup I drink everything else out of. It is also the cup that my old roommate accidentally left in the sink when he moved out.

    It is a versatile cup.

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  8. Megan: I do the same thing, FB is usually everywhere!

    Jeff: Well, that is a great cup. And knowing you and Merlot, it is a hard-working one!

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  9. Love that parable and it's so true....here's to the COFFEE! :o)

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  10. Hi! Wings,
    Wow...I have to agree with the previous commenter...what a very interesting parable.

    Wing said, “Now, if Life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn’t change. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it.”

    Now, if only actor Christian Bale's character(Bateman) from the film American Psycho "heeded" or listen to this advice or read this parable.

    Thanks, for sharing!
    DeeDee ;-D

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  11. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I do have this favorite red mug...and coffee always tastes extra good in it...

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  12. Uh-oh, I would have wanted tea. Where does that leave me?

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