The Beauty of an Empty Cup
There’s an ancient Chinese proverb that says, ”The usefulness of a cup is in its emptiness.” Like all Chinese proverbs,this one offers a a great life lesson to those who’ll spend a little time with its words and a little more time with the meaning behind them.Naturally, given the fact that I run on coffee the way my Dodge runs on gas, my analogy will begin in the kitchen near ….oh, I dunno…. my coffee maker? When I’m about to pour one of my many cups of coffee during the day, it all begins with a coffee mug. I have several gazillion to choose from, so I find the one that “suits” me at that moment. I certainly don’t want anything to be in the cup - no water, fuzzles, or dust bunnies allowed. I also don’t want any aroma left from the dishwasher or dishwashing liquid. Even hospital coffee’s better than coffee flavored with Joy.The usefulness of the cup hinges on it’s emptiness.
We can, of course, take the proverb out of the kitchen and see how it relates to the rest of our lives. How about at work? How impossible is it to concentrate on, well, anything, if your head is packed with countless other thoughts? Sometimes even just one other thought train will derail the one you’re trying to ride on at the time.
The same is certainly true when it comes to our relationships. How many times do the people in our lives have to compete with the thoughts in our heads? That’s why, I’m convinced, that people often tell us things that we (later) swear they never told us! Chances are very good that they did - but that our thoughts were a little louder.
It would help every aspect of our lives if we’d try to keep the corners of our minds cleaned out. There are several ways to go about it:
- If something needs to be done, get it out of your mind and into your hands. Do it as soon as possible, then there’s absolutely no reason to mull over it any longer.
- If your thoughts center too much on the past, demand that they stay in the present where they belong. Whether it’s regret, guilt, or longing that carries your mind backwards- realize that any time spent looking back is robbing you of your life. It’s as though you’re stepping into a time machine as life around you goes on without you. Jump out and start living!
- One of the biggest causes of mental clutter is worry. We can all be such worry warts, can’t we??? Yet, the things we worry about happening almost never do. If we could learn to just deal with problems one at a time, rather than trying to line up a battalion of possibilities - we’d focus all of our energies on the one problem at hand. Then it wouldn’t stand a chance. But when we spread our resources over an entire army of worries (especially when so many of them are phantoms!), we weaken our artillery. What in the world is up with all of these military references? I only hope they’re spelled correctly.
- Focus. Wow - that’s a tough one. But, again, if we focus all of our thoughts and energies on what’s right in front of us, whether it’s a daughter talking about her Psychology test or a project that’s due in two days - our world will be a much better, calmer, and more productive place in which to live.
From above, below, side, front or back - that’s beautiful any way you look at it.
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