Priorities in Life
When a group of working adults visited their University lecturer, they started complaining about stress in work and life.
After listening to all these things, the Lecturer served them with water in a different assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass and some rather expensive/exquisite ones. After they picked up one for each of them, the Lecturer observed that cheap / plastic cups are left out.
He said: "Your problems and stress are due to your thirst for the best things in the world for yourselves. Eventhough you needed only water, not the cup, you had gone for the better cups unconsciously.
If you consider Life as water, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold/maintain Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change. If we only concentrate on the cup, we won't have time to enjoy/taste the water in it."
I agree 100% with the above observation on our life's priorities. Desires have gone sky high and fulfulling them, makes you to lose some nice important moments in the life.
I set some priorities today and replace them with new ones, after achieving them. Not sure about the end point for such desires, eventhough it is upto individual perception. How far will it go in my life? I'm just wondering.... anyhow, that seems to be the rule of the game.
170th post
After listening to all these things, the Lecturer served them with water in a different assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass and some rather expensive/exquisite ones. After they picked up one for each of them, the Lecturer observed that cheap / plastic cups are left out.
He said: "Your problems and stress are due to your thirst for the best things in the world for yourselves. Eventhough you needed only water, not the cup, you had gone for the better cups unconsciously.
If you consider Life as water, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold/maintain Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change. If we only concentrate on the cup, we won't have time to enjoy/taste the water in it."
I agree 100% with the above observation on our life's priorities. Desires have gone sky high and fulfulling them, makes you to lose some nice important moments in the life.
I set some priorities today and replace them with new ones, after achieving them. Not sure about the end point for such desires, eventhough it is upto individual perception. How far will it go in my life? I'm just wondering.... anyhow, that seems to be the rule of the game.
170th post
posted by Ram C at 3:55 PM
15 Comments:
Very true Ram, unfortunately this thought process is sort of ingrained into our heads. We just do it mechanically. Just the other day i was thinking, life is moving so fast, and i was just doing things without even thinking really whether i want to do it or not. To me sitting down for a moment and just contemplating of a change from the norm is getting difficult.
Luckily for some fellow bloggers like Arjuna, and my best friend - I get a chance to talk about Spirtuality, and life starts making some sense for a short duration of a time.
Yeah Ram.. Nicely said.. Thats always the case..
If you ask the ladies to choose the cups, they would choose the most expensive and beautiful ones and not drink the water also..
gp,
tts not fair.dont just say "the ladies"; I think it applies to both guys and girls.
Ram,
the essence of life ultimately comes down to what you make of it.If you value the "cup" (means of making a living) more than the "water" (life itself).
Really liked the post :)
Very true Ram. I think this applies to everything in life. Whether it is living this life or making a decision or achieving something in this life, we look at the 'container' of it and decide. For, we are always engrossed in this life with the external beauty more than the inner beauty.
I think it will take a long time for us to go for the water than the actual cup it is in.
a nice anecdote. very matter of fact
That's a nice message. But I think we should also take enough care not to drink water from a dirty cup...
IS it the reason why the plastic cups were left out ?
Ram,
Touch panniteeenga. Eppadiyo....thanni kedaicha sari.
really touching ram. aana ellarum nalla cup la kudikkam podhu naamalum adhey maadhiri pannanumnu thonume.
Good one Ram.
Quoting the below from a mail forward..
"Priorities are like a journey.. When you are travelling in the train, you wd long to reach your station. Once you reach there, you long to get back home. Once you get home, you wd have another thing to finish. Likewise, there is no end for desires... while studying, all you would want is a decent job, then a next promotion, then that luxury car, a posh house etc etc.."
Thought its relevant to this post.
Aatma.. as I mentioned, that seems to be the rule of the game. so, enjoy it as it is.
GP.. as ASERA had mentioned I would rather say that it applies to both the genders. For Males, it would be career and other advancements and for Ladies, it may be something else.. (nowadays, career advancement thoughts also included in their desires)
Angel.. I agree with you.
Venki.. as you say, all are due to the obsession towards the outside package!!!!
balaji..thankz..
Somu.. It need not be a dirty cup. Even if it is a nice cup, as PARAN had commented, we may compare with our neighbours and take a better one to equate them. That has become the rule of the game.
Kaps.. endha thanniyoo???
Paran.. agree with your views. That is the practical scenario, which everyone tries to adapt.
Chakra.. that's a good one too. I agree that it is becoming like a never ending journey...
Pinniteenga!!
Water is one of those which is used to the maximum in explaining and understanding life. :)
Very nice.
LOL at GP's response!
very true ram.very often luxury's and wants become needs.and when we finally get what we want we forget to enjoy it.the story of the water and the cups is a good metaphor.
enna konjam naala cine poste kanam?
TJ .. u r right..
Deepak.. thx
Siddharth.. Friday, it is getting released.... Last friday, i couldn't due to known reasons.
Hi Ram Very nice one .. I blog the story in my blog i hope you dont mind...
Thanks Senthil
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