A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit th
eir old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about str
ess in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with
a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, cry
stal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite -
telling them to h elp themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said:

"If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behi
nd the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best fo
r yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.
Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee.  In most cases it
is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of y
ou really wanted was coffee, 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 coffee; the jobs, money and position in society a
re the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup w
e have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live.  Sometimes, by c
oncentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us."
God brews the coffee, not the cups .. . . . Enjoy your coffee!

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best
of everything."

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
Have a blessed day and enjoy your coffee!

一群男毕业生，已经事业有成，一起去拜访他们的大学教授．话题很快转到抱怨生活和工作
的压力上．
为了给客人们提供咖啡，教授进了厨房．返回时拿来了咖啡和喝咖啡的器皿：有瓷器的，有
塑料的，有玻璃的，有水晶的，有的看上去很普通，有的很昂贵，有的很精美．教授让大家
随便饮用咖啡．
等到每个人手里都有了一杯咖啡，教授说：＂也许你们已经注意到了：那些昂贵的，好看的
咖啡杯都被人挑走了，剩下的是普通和廉价的．尽管想为自己得到最好的这是很自然的，然
而它却是你们压力的原因．＂
＂我们都确信，咖啡杯并不能提升咖啡的品质，在很多时候仅仅是更昂贵而已，有时甚至会
影响了我们品味咖啡．我们都想要饮用的是咖啡，而不是杯子．但你们有意识地想要最好的
咖啡杯，并窥视着别人所用的咖啡杯．＂
＂现在这样来看问题吧，生活就象咖啡．工作，钱和社会上的地位就好比杯子，他们仅仅是
承载生活的工具．杯子的种类不应该被规定．，它也不会改变我们生活的质量．有时候太着
眼于杯子，我们难以欣赏上帝赐给我们的咖啡．上帝烹煮的是咖啡，不是杯子．好好享用你
的咖啡吧．