A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.
When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: "Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, 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. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.
Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. And enjoy your hot chocolate.
Chantelle
I know it's not the point, but a Hot Chocolate with lots of whipped cream sounds really good this morning...
1It's true though. I was just going to write up some thoughts on money and happiness and how they don't necessarily go hand in hand. I've not got a lot, but I've got the best kid, a loving family, and a job that makes me happy.
2This is so true. One of the most important things I learned I've learned, I learned form my husband. A couple of years back, I was stressing about finances and just normal everyday worries you tend to have as a wife and mother. Worrying about the household and our lives. Wondering if we would ever get out from our situation and my husband held me in his arms and asked me what was on my mind, i was afraid to tell him what I had been worrying about, but I did because he always makes me feel better. When I told him, he just hugged me and said, Why are you worrying? Don't you know that all those things are just distractions from what is really important in life? We have our health, our children's health and our love for each other. That's all that really matters. At that moment everything just fell into place and perspective for me. Whenever I worry I remember his words. It's funny because now if he worries I remind him of it.
3This was a good one Schaianne.
What a great message. I worry about finances all the time, but after my husband's health problems, I'm always so grateful that we're still together, still happy, and that he's doing so well.
You're absolutely right - it's having each other that matters, even if sometimes we're just scraping by.
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