EP3 What's In Your Cup

The podcast episode discusses the metaphor of a cup and what spills out when it is bumped. It emphasizes the importance of being mindful of what we fill our cups with, as that is what will come out when faced with challenges in life. The analogy applies to our emotions, attitudes, and beliefs. The episode suggests filling our cups with positive emotions like joy and gratitude, and letting go of negative emotions like anger and resentment. It also highlights the power of resilience and choosing to fill our cups with determination and faith. The episode concludes by encouraging listeners to surround themselves with positive vibes, treat others with kindness, and be mindful of what they pour into their cups. Hey, hey, it's your girl Veloura, a.k.a. Lori, and you're tuning in to Just Lori, I Can Only Be Me. Let me ask you this. When life bumps you, what spills out? If you're curious about what's really inside your cup, then this episode is for you. We're diving deep into what we carry within us and how it shows up when life gets messy. Stay with me. It's about to get real. Welcome to another episode of Just Lori, I Can Only Be Me, the podcast where we dive deep into authentic living and empowering stories. I'm your host, Veloura, a.k.a. Lori, and today we're going to explore a powerful analogy that I absolutely love. What's in your cup? Now, before you answer that, let me break down this analogy that's been blowing my mind lately. All right, picture this. You're holding a cup of coffee, just minding your own business. Somebody bumps into you, and bam, coffee spills everywhere. Now, why did you spill the coffee? Most of us would say, because somebody bumped into me, but that's not the real answer. You spilled the coffee because there was coffee in your cup. If it had been tea, you would have spilled tea. If it had been juice, you would have spilled juice. The point is, whatever's inside the cup is what spills out when it's shaken. This little analogy is a powerful lesson about life. Life's going to shake us, no doubt about that. We'll hit rough patches, get surprised, and face some tough times, and when that happens, whatever's inside us is what's going to spill out. The cup in this analogy represents your inner self, your emotions, your attitudes, your beliefs. It's like our inner well, filled with whatever we've been pouring into ourselves, consciously or unconsciously. And when life shakes us, and trust me, it always will, whatever we've been filling ourselves with is going to come out. It's easy to present a calm, collected exterior when everything's going smoothly, but the real test is when you're rattled. What spills out then? So let's talk about what's inside your cup. We all have a choice in how we fill it. On the one hand, there are positive emotions like joy, gratitude, peace, and humility. These are the things that uplift us when they spill out. On the other hand, there are those negative emotions like anger, bitterness, fear, resentment, you know, the list goes on and on. When life bumps you, which of these will you pour out into the world? And let's be honest, we've all had times when our cups were filled with the latter. But here's the beauty of it. You have the power to choose what goes in your cup. Let me share a couple of stories with you. The first one is from a time when my cup was filled with positive vibes. Life threw me a curveball, I lost an important client, and it would have been easy to have a negative attitude, but instead what spilled out was resilience and optimism. I reminded myself of all the clients I successfully helped and the value I bring. I reached out to my network, I stayed positive, and not only did I land a new client, but I also felt a sense of peace and satisfaction that I was able to handle the situation with grace. Now let me tell you about a time when my cup was filled with something darker. I was working for this company for a good while. Then one day I lost my job. I submitted resumes all over town. I went on interviews, career fairs, you name it, I was there. I was even promised jobs that never happened. I was out of work for like six months. During that time bills were piling up and it felt like the walls were just closing in. One day I sat in my home office, I stared at my blank computer monitors and cried like a baby. I was allowing fear to take up residence in my cup, and when life bumped me, whether it was a bill collector calling or just the daily stress of trying to make ends meet, I spilled out fear, frustration, and hopelessness. It wasn't pretty, and it certainly didn't help the situation either. It took me some time to understand that the real issue wasn't the outside pressures, but what I had been holding on to within myself all along. I had to do some serious soul searching and make the decision to start filling my cup with better things, like faith, hope, and a renewed sense of purpose. Let's think about this for a moment, people. It's super easy to keep up that positive front when life's on cruise control, right? But here's the real deal. The true test of who we are comes when we get rattled. That's when the real you comes out, whether we're ready or not is coming out. And trust me, that's why it's so crucial to be intentional about what we're filling our cups with. Today, I want us to really focus on pouring the good stuff into our cups. I'm talking about qualities that uplift and empower us. Here are a few things we should all strive to add to our cups. The first one is gratitude. Start your day with a quick gratitude check. Think about what you're thankful for. It could be something as simple as the morning sun shining through your window or hearing the laughter of somebody you love. Gratitude has this amazing way of shifting our perspective and filling our cup with a whole lot of appreciation. The next one is forgiveness. This one's big. Letting go of those past hurts and grudges is a game changer. Holding onto resentment only fills our cup with bitterness, and we don't need that kind of energy. Forgiveness is about freeing yourself, making room for peace and healing in your heart. Let's be honest for a moment. Clinging to grudges and past wounds, it doesn't just weigh on your mind. It can truly hold you back. You're stuck replaying that hurt, letting negativity consume you, while the person you're upset with has likely moved on, living their life without a second thought. You know, it's like drinking poison and expecting the other person to suffer. It doesn't add up. It doesn't make any sense to your heart. Let it go. Set yourself free so you can truly live your life. Forgiveness isn't about letting them off the hook. It's about setting yourself free. It's about filling your cup with peace and making room for joy. So let it go, honey, and give yourself the gift of a lighter heart and a happier life. Find joy in the little things, the everyday moments that we sometimes overlook. Play your favorite song and dance like nobody's watching. Smile at a stranger. Joy is contagious, and it can light up even the darkest days. Now the words of affirmations, this one is close to my heart. Speak kindly to yourself. Affirmations like, I am capable, I am loved, and I am enough can really fill your cup with confidence and self-worth. We need to be our own biggest cheerleaders. Now life's going to knock us down, it's just a fact, but resilience is what helps us get back up every single time. Fill your cup with determination and that unshakable belief that you can overcome anything life throws at you. Let me share two stories that beautifully illustrate what it means to fill your cup with resilience. The first one, there's the story of the little engine that could. When faced with a mountain to climb, all the bigger, stronger engines refused to take on the challenge, but not the little blue engine. It looked at that mountain and said, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. It wasn't the biggest, it wasn't the fastest or the strongest, but it filled its cup with resilience with the belief that it could get to the other side. And you know what? It did. As it reached the top, that I think I can turned into I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could. That's the power of resilience. You've got to put it in your shoulders. I thought I could, I thought I could. Now, imagine you're that little engine chugging along with determination, but what happens when life throws dirt on you trying to bury your spirit? That's where our next story comes in, the story of the donkey that fell into the well. Now, this poor donkey was trapped, and his owner decided the only solution was to bury him. He started shoveling dirt into the well, but the donkey wasn't ready to give up. Instead of letting the dirt bury him, the donkey shook it off and stepped up. With each pile of dirt, he rose a little higher, he shook it off, and he stepped up. And he just kept doing it. He shook it off and he stepped up. And then he kept using it to climb out of the well. Before anybody realized it, that donkey had stepped out of the well alive and free. So what's in your cup? Is it filled with doubt, fear, and insecurity? Or are you filling it with determination, faith, and resilience? Just like the little engine, you might face mountains that seem too steep to climb. And like the donkey, life might try to bury you under challenges. But remember this, you have the power to choose what fills your cup. When you fill it with resilience, you can shake off the dirt, step up, and keep moving forward. Shake it off and step up. Shake it off and step up. No matter how high the mountain or how deep the well. Next time you face adversity, remind yourself, I think I can. I think I can. I think I can. And when the dirt starts piling up, shake it off and step up. Shake it off and step up. And soon you'll be saying, I knew I could. I knew I could. Yes, I knew I could. I knew I could. I knew I could. Hey, I knew I could. Surround yourself with positive vibes. Engage in activities and relationships that lift you up and steer clear of the negative vibes. You don't need that in your cup. Treat people the way you want to be treated, with compassion and understanding. Acts of kindness not only fill other people's cups, but it also fills our own. The more love you give, the more you have to share. As we go through our days, let's be mindful of what we're pouring into our cups. When life inevitably bumps into us, let's make sure that what spills over is something beautiful and enriching. Now, life will always bump us. It's going to happen. But what spills out is entirely up to us. The key takeaway from today's episode is to be intentional about what you're filling your cup with. Is it love, joy, and peace? Or is it anger, bitterness, and fear? Take a moment to reflect on what's in your cup right now. And if it's not what you want to spill out, start making those changes today. Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life, Proverbs 4 and 23. I want to challenge you this week to take stock of what's in your cup. What are you carrying inside that might spill out when life gets tough? And if you're not happy with what's there, take steps to fill it with positivity, gratitude, and love. Share this episode with somebody you think could benefit from it. And let's start a conversation about what we're carrying inside. Next week, we're diving into pouring from an empty cup. It's a continuation of today's episode, but with a twist. We'll explore what happens when you've got nothing left to give and how to refill your cup when it's run dry. Trust me, you won't want to miss it. Thank you for joining me on this journey of self-discovery and growth. Don't forget to subscribe to JustLaurie, I Can Only Be Me on your favorite podcast platform and share this episode with somebody who needs a little positivity in their life. Have a beautiful day, everyone. And remember, life provides the cup. You choose how to fill it. Until next time, keep filling your cup with the good stuff. God bless. Much love from me. I'm JustLaurie. I Can Only Be Me