pay it forward...

Just something to think about (this was emailed to me by a friend – thanks Brad!)…

A group of graduates, well established in their careers by this time, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, who is 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 very 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 or distorts 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 eying each other's cups to see whose was best.

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.

Anyway – another thing to think about it this…

Normally I am pretty indifferent about Oprah, however, right now I think that she is involved in something pretty cool— Oprah’s Big Give! Have you watched it? Do you love it? If you haven’t seen it, I encourage you to watch, and please include the whole family and even some friends!! (It’s on Sunday evenings, right after Extreme Makeover Home Edition.) Basically, Oprah picked 10 people to participate in a contest to see who could give away the most money, and make the biggest difference in someone’s life at the same time… and if they don’t give big, they go home. They do things like raise money to provide a home for a family in need along with college funds for the kids, etc. I think it’s great to see the community get involved, and it’s very moving to see the difference that it makes in these peoples lives.

So – Watch it! I also encourage you to use it as inspiration for generating ideas of how you can make a difference in the life of someone less fortunate than yourself! Use it to inspire your creative ideas for helping others and making the world a better place for future generations! Small things can make a huge difference, and so can big things… just remember that everyone can make a difference if they try!