A group of alumni, established in their careers, got together to visit their favorite university professor. After warm greetings, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and in their private lives. The professor saw one more opportunity to enlighten her students and she took it.

Offering her guests coffee, she went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of it, and an assortment of cups and mugs – china, plastic, glass, ceramic, and clay. Some were plain looking, some elegant, some chipped and cracked. She set the tray down and asked them to help themselves. When all her students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said:

“I notice you all chose nice looking cups, leaving behind those that are plain and chipped. While it’s normal for you to want the best for yourselves, that’s the source of your stress.

The cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. What all of you want is the coffee, not the cup — yet you automatically selected the most prestigious container. Once you made your selection, you looked around to compare your choice.

Consider this — life is the coffee. Our jobs, money, and social position are the cups. The style of cup does not define the quality of our lives. By concentrating on the showy cups, we fail to enjoy what they’re designed to provide — the coffee."

Once again the professor was enriching her students’ lives — this time with a lesson about postgraduate life. It’s a message I too need to hear. “Forget appearances and competition — they bring stress. Live life simply so — like coffee — life has taste, quality, and value.”

Enjoy your coffee!