…the content is important.
The cup is the external world…the world we let others see, the world we present to others, the world where we can see all the shiny things. We know that shiny things can blind us.
In many cases people get admired for all the shiny things they possess, and other people have to deal with envy and jealousy from others because these people had the courage to step outside their comfort zone and go for their dreams, and they made them come true because they believed in themselves and their success.
There is a difference between admiration and inspiration.
The internal world is the content of the cup. Your happiness and confidence are the essence of who you are. What does your internal world look like? Is the content of your cup strong or weak coffee/tea? I like mine just right – a balance, so to speak.
Many people believe that their own happiness depends on others. No one can make you happy. It all depends on ourselves. Why? If you rely on other people and you put them in charge of your own happiness, those people can leave, possessions you thought made you happy can be taken away from you. The next big promotion? We think that the next big thing will make us happy, and when we have it, we realise that maybe the price we pay for the big promotion actually makes us unhappier. A sacrifice. All those external stimuli can be taken away from you, and where is your happiness then? GONE! You see, the cup was more interesting and appealing than the content – YOU! Make YOURSELF a priority.
I am not saying that we don’t need nice things in life, of course we do, they are part of life, but if you shine from the inside, you will project that outwardly, and everybody will know it is genuine beauty. I learnt this. I do not equate my self-worth with the value of my car. My car enhances my self-worth. This is completely different.
I have certainly learnt over the past 50 years that only I can achieve my own happiness by finding balance within myself. No one can take this away from me because the inner focus matters. Your orientation. And whatever I want to build, I know those foundations are solid. When your “inner world” is sorted, you’ll attract your external world, which will be in line with who you are.
You certainly deserve that pretty cup.
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