The cup is how you come across to the world. The cup represents the visible actions that you take, the things that you do and the words that you speak. The world makes a picture of you from what is visible to them. They have no idea of what is inside. They do not know how the coffee looks. The coffee inside might be awful, but if the cup is made of delicate ceramic, the world would look at it positively. On the other hand, you may be a very good person inside but the world may ignore you as a cheap plastic cup because your goodness is not visible to them.The coffee inside is what you are to yourself. It comes from what you think and believe. It comes from all your thoughts, actions, experiences and feelings from childhood till date. You are the only person who has witnessed everything about you. Others may have caught a glimpse here or there, but it is only you who knows what you are. Normally, what we are inside is never closely related to how the world sees us. Many of us have experienced this very closely. This is simply because the coffee inside is not visible to others. They can only see the cup.
Finally, the experience of having the coffee is your experience of life. It is not visible to anyone. Only you can feel the warmth, taste and aroma. A good experience makes you feel satisfied, relaxed and at peace, whereas a bad experience fills you with stress, dissatisfaction, and discomfort. The experience is given by your value system, your acceptance of yourself, and your acceptance of how the world sees you. You enjoy your coffee best when you are not concerned about how the cup or the coffee looks; rather you are focussed on enjoying the coffee. The look of the coffee and the cup does influence your experience of having coffee. But if you introspect, most of you will see that the biggest spoilsport is your non-acceptance of yourself, and of how the world sees you. Most happy and satisfied people are those who accept themselves, and also accept how the world sees them.
To accept yourself and to accept how the world sees you, the coffee and the cup needs to be in sync with your value system. So go ahead and live life in tune with your value system, and enjoy each moment of living it. It doesn't matter whether you are a beggar or a king.
Acknowledgment: This article is inspired by Rick Abelson’s “The Coffee or the Cup?”
Related Posts: Life Is Like A Game Of Cards
5 comments:
Inspiration: A Cup of Coffee
In my cup of coffee
I see the answers
to life's problems
The grains have muddied
the water
The bottom is not clear but
The cream adds richness
I know not the way
but the taste
will be bittersweet
will renew
reenergize
allow me to start
a new day
with confidence
Surprise
an after-taste
I will bite
from the fruit
of life
an apple
sour the skin
the best part
a lingering taste
fresh
a balm for the
pains of the world
taken like so much
worry upon
my shoulders
But as I expel
my breath
its sweet mixture
mingles disperses
into the fields
of despair
and brightens
her surroundings
for a moment
of expelled
awareness
insightful post Aseem!
reminds the proverb, 50% personality + 50% clothing, makes the 100% man.
Acceptance of both in and out leads to total transformation.
Thanks for the most delicious cup of coffee!
come visit:
Using the Law of Attraction
Taylore Vance
thanx 4 a very good read, food for thought! I liked when u said something like "being good from inside only is nt all". One's good quality shd b visible 2 others as well.
Aseem, I have been out of town for a few days with no access but just saw your insightful coffee post and am humbled and thankful that you mentioned my article. I think you have raised the bar! Keep them coming. Rick
Post a Comment