Take The Time to Fill Up a Cup
Melissa J. | 08.31.2023
Last week, someone came up to me unexpectedly and told me the impact that the words from my latest book, Lifelong Learner, had on them.
She was effusive with things like “I felt like I could relate to so many things” and “I felt like you and I were having coffee and a conversation” and “your authenticity is brave.” It made my heart smile, because that’s exactly what I wanted you to feel when you were reading it: like you were having coffee and a heart-to-heart with a friend.
But just the day before, I had been in a pretty deep hole because negative self-talk was telling me I hadn’t made a positive impression on anybody, and none of it really mattered anyway. (Kicks at the dirt on the ground, decides to go eat worms.)
But the woman I spoke with? She had no idea where my negative self-talk had taken me before we started talking. When she complimented my work, she thought she was adding to my already-full cup. She didn’t know that before she talked to me, my cup had been empty.
When we look at someone, we don’t automatically know if their cup is full, overflowing, half-empty, or running on fumes. Humans are pretty good at hiding that stuff.
So that’s why it’s more important than ever that we take the time to fill cups whenever possible. Your words might be JUST the thing someone needs to hear today to brighten their day, build them up, and lift them out of their funk.
Never underestimate the power of your bright and shining spirit. It’s beautiful, and it shines.