How do you perceive that glass of yours?
We’re all familiar with the metaphorical story of two people looking at the same glass and one perceiving it as half-full while the other sees it as half-empty.
And, we often miss the point, as shown in this note!
But it’s still a valuable exercise to really observe our minds and notice whether we’re engaged in half-full or half-empty thinking. We are all capable of shifting into the half-full consciousness if we simply make the effort.
Why would we want to?
Because when we are involved in half-empty consciousness, we perceive a lack and think that the other half of what we wan
t is missing. We’re coming from a position of expectation and entitlement.
On the other hand, when we look at our lives as half-full we perceive fullness, seeing that it’s not fully empty and what we have is bounty–not something we expect or believe we are owed, but a gift. We count our blessings. We see all the elements that are in place and all the things we do have. And if we seek more, we seek from a place of fullness instead of from a place of lack.
Try imagining your life as an empty glass.
This is your life without all the people you know, the work you do, your home, or your current state of physical wellbeing. This is just an empty, open space waiting to be filled.
Once you have that feeling of openness in your mind, begin filling it with all the people, choices, ideas, opportunities, things, and places that make up your life. This is a great exercise in gratitude!
You may be surprised to find that your glass is overflowing. Not half anything!
(Or as one astute observer pointed out, it’s always full-just half full of water and half full of air, both essential for our lives!)
And there’s a common high school science experiment where a glass of water is filled to the brim with water, and then the teacher begins to add, one by one, additional droplets of water. What the students discover is that, contrary to their expectations, the additional droplets remain for a while on top, forming a mound of water that is actually higher than the rim of the glass. Drop by drop, the mound gets higher. And then suddenly there’s the tipping point, one single extra drop that causes the mound of water to collapse and run down the sides of the glass.
How’s that for abundance?
Oh, by the way, did you happen to notice that you do have a glass? That you have been gifted with a glass of your very own?
- A glass you can choose to be grateful for or not.
- A glass you can choose to fill or not.
- A glass you can fill with what you want or don’t want.
- A glass you can share from or not.
Tell us about your “glass” and how you perceive it!
14 Comments
I do like to take advantage of the opportunities that life offers to those who are visionary. Hence, the Sustainable Living Center (that I founded in 2001) received a $1.77 million grant last July to weatherize homes in Walla Walla, Franklin, and Columbia Counties. We’ll get another grant this year to do the same. All homes qualify for incentives, so take advantage of this opportunity to save on insulation, air-sealing, windows, and HVAC. It’s a good life!
Karen, good to hear from you! And great job on the Sustainable Living Center. You are to be commended on your commitment and your “energy” in seeing it succeed!
Great “stuff”
You bet I have a glass! And it has in it just what I need. It’s sort of a ‘forever filling’ kind of glass. Every now and then it simply fills clear up to the top and spills over like a little waterfall and helps support those around it. My blessings are certainly huge! Even during this particularly challenging time, I have the love, support, friends, space, time and money to do what is necessary to keep moving forward. I can drink the water, knowing it will never really ever be empty, but constantly refilled by…..? Guess it doesn’t really matter what we call the ‘filler upper’, it gets done. Every time.
Fay, great attitude, particularly as you deal with your current challenges. And I love the image of the overflowing, like a waterfall!
My glass is full of grateful thoughts, always full and overflowing. I have had a very nice life and only wish others could do so as well.
So I guess the glass is usually full of wishes and good thoughts for others. Another thought that keeps the glass full is memories of school friends and our get-together #50 coming up – and of the college times with my girl. I have had a very lucky life and very well know it. Wish others in many different places could have a nice life too.
Earl, I too believe that gratitude for the gifts we’ve been given continues to fill our glass of life to overflowing
When I think of my glass, I see that it’s a pretty big glass to be only half full. What if it were a tiny glass? Then there wouldn’t be room for all the blessings I already have. Today I’m going to put a bigger glass out there and see how much more can come in to fill
Meg, I love your big glass/tiny glass concept-great idea to put into practice!
Well, just think about going shopping with a sandwich-size bag!!! How much could I fit unto that?
Thank you again for such a wonderful post! I love to fill and refill my glass! I have such a wonderful and fulfilling life. Even when there are troubles I can reach for my glass and Pat you are always part of my glass – you are such an inspiration and I am glad you are such a great friend!
Tish, you’re a part of my glass too! And I like the idea of filling and refilling our glasses; it’s not a static situation, but rather is as fluid as we choose it to be.
I’m a glass half empty person, but it’s because my glass was full of chocolate milk and I’ve already enjoyed the first half and am looking forward to the second.
Carol, of course your glass was full of chocolate milk. No surprise there! Only surprise is that you hesitated before finishing it all off.