Tuesday, October 07, 2008

The Wisdom of Hot Chocolate


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!!

7 comments:

Monique said...

you know whats so funny?! I just made myself some cocoa, but all the mugs are in the dish washer and I had to decide between an anthropologoe tea cup that is too small but a lot like a mug or a plain old glass...honestly I didnt want either because cocoa just isn't cocoa unless it's in a mug... which means to me the container must be suitable in purpose and present something tactile (that mug in your hand feeling) to the moment...wonder if that says anything about my life? ;)

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful story. I love it.

And what does it say that Starbucks has come out with a line of overly expensive, gourmet hot chocolate? hmmm. I have some thoughts, but perhaps they are better left unsaid.

Mrs. G. said...

This is wisdom I can get behind. Wisdom with whipped cream!

Heather said...

I love it. I have been making hot chocolate every morning and loving it. I put it in my big starbucks mug.

Anonymous said...

good words rae. really good words!
xo

Very Mary said...

I think we can all stand to learn a little lesson from the cocoa.

Anonymous said...

Hey, I really like this one! Gonna hang on to it. :)