What's in Your Cup?
I watched a reel by Global Mind on Instagram that stuck with me (Thanks
for reposting!).He shared a story:
A monk asks students, "If you are walking with a cup of coffee and someone bumps into you, why does the coffee spill?" The students reply, "Because someone bumped into me!"
The monk responds, "No. The coffee spilled because coffee was in your cup. If there had been tea, tea would have spilled. What is inside the cup is what will spill out".
The monk then explains the metaphor: "When life shakes you—which it will—whatever you are carrying inside is going to come out. If you are carrying anger, bitterness, or resentment, that is what will spill out. However, if you carry joy, peace, and compassion, that is what will be revealed."
Now I can’t site if this analogy truly came from a Monk, however this visual deeply resonated.
As I sat in my morning meditation the next day, I gentle scanned the internal landscape of my body to name and notice what’s here.
I asked myself: “What is inside my own cup this morning?”
My attention went to my torso. I gently noticed:
Peace along my spine
Anxiety fluttered in the cave of my ribs and sternum
Grief swam around my chest
Hope filled the flesh of my face
Judgment clamped down in my jaw
Jealousy tingled underneath my sternum
I then gently asked myself, what do I want to actively put in my cup right now?
I took a deep inhale—breathing in gratitude. Visualizing this expansive feeling sucking up through my veins as if they were straws slurping a thick delicious milkshake.
I let the cells in my body receive. Not forcing. Not overriding or pushing out what was presently in my cup, but inviting in a warmer kinder energy to hold space.
Feeling a bit more resourced, I turned to the unpleasant emotions of jealousy, judgment, grief and anxiety and without trying to change them. I offered some compassion. I visualized rubbing some love balm on these tender places as my mind replayed memories on a projector screen.
My husband, a philosopher by training, said during our wedding vows: “I didn’t realize I was marrying a professional introspector.” And sometimes I wonder if I spend too much time exploring my inner landscape—exploring what’s in my “cup.” However, it feels like a deep calling for me. Learning to listen and notice oneself is a meaningful and courageous act.
This Week’s Practice:
Share your noticings with me in the comments or send me a DM.
I invite you to slow down and notice: What’s in your cup? What do you want to invite into your cup?
love this!!