You are full

What spills from you?

I was recently walking through a crowded area carrying a coffee. Now if this was the run of the meal to-go cup with a decently secure lid, this would be a non-starter. However, add to the scene that it’s was an Americano (translated insanely hot, strong-enough-to-walk-to-you, black coffee), without a lid, while walking on wet tiled floors in rubber sandals…it becomes a very focused walk.

Don’t get me wrong - I am a huge coffee fan. The stronger the better. Hot? Yes, please! Iced with a little flavoring (potpourri coffee as my dad calls it)? Sure, sign me up! Down the front of me causing scalding blisters? I think I’ll pass.

Remove the coffee and the danger is gone - but so is the enjoyment of a delicious drink. You’re left holding a cup full of air. It’s not nothing, but it is a useless something.

We are a lot like that coffee cup.

As we are carried through life we are not covered by that proverbial lid. So, as we traverse slippery, bumpy terrain and bump into the occasional fellow travelers, the substance filling us has a tendency to splash out. Like an “empty” cup we are never truly empty. But, if not purposeful about how we are filled - we can leave that space rendered useless.

How are you filling your inner spaces?

If you’re not sure, consider the life moments when things don’t go as planned. Does every line seem too long? Are rainy days dreary, but sunny days too bright? Do you find still, quiet moments uneasy or overcrowded with anxious thoughts? Or have you found the art of being content no matter the circumstances of your day?

Either way, it’s never too late to start purposefully filling your cup. It may take some help, because life is really hard at times and we were not intended to go it alone. Yet, drop by drop we can begin to reclaim that space and fill it with purpose and life. Then when sloshed, those around us are better for the bump or at the least not scalded by our contents.

Two simple places to start are forgiveness and gratitude.

Addressing things unforgiven leads to a decrease in anger and bitterness. Often it is like peeling an onion. Layer by layer as you embrace forgiveness and the freedom there in, you find peace, but getting there may involve tears.

The other side of the coin is acknowledging the aspects of life for which you can be grateful and then expressing that gratitude. As you replace poorly used spaces inside you with thoughts, comments and actions of forgiveness and thankfulness a change takes place. No longer are you splashing a painful scalding on those around you. Instead, you allow your life the possibility of being a refreshing mist in a world so often riffled with pain.

Take a moment and ask yourself, “What spills from me?”

You can start replacing and replenishing the substance of your character one choice at a time.

written by Kelli Keller, D.O.