Coffee and a cup

A group of graduates decided to go visit one of their old professors. They were all successful and had wonderful careers. The conversation that night quickly turned to the topic of work. The graduates complained about their numerous difficulties and all life’s problems.

After asking his guests if they would like some coffee, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a pot of coffee and a tray of various cups. There were cups made of china, glass, plastic and crystal. Some were simple, some expensive and some novelty.

When the graduates had chosen their cups the professor said:

- If you noticed, all the expensive cups have been taken. No one took a simple or cheap cup. The desire to take the very best for yourself is the source of all your problems. Remember, that the cup in and of itself does not make the coffee better. Sometimes it is just more expensive and sometimes it just hides whatever it is we are drinking. What each of you really wanted was coffee and not a cup. But you consciously chose the best cups and then looked around to see who ended up with which cup.

And now, think about this: Life is this coffee, and work, money, status, and society – these are the cup. They are only instruments which hold life. So, whichever cup we have, it does not determine or change the quality of the life we lead. Sometimes, when we concentrate only on the cup, we forget to enjoy the taste of the coffee itself.

Enjoy your coffee! The happiest people don’t have the very best things, but they bring out the very best in the things they do have. Happiness lies in wanting what you already have, and not in getting what you want.