What's Spilling Out of Your Cup?

Years ago, I was sitting in a random religion class at Pepperdine.

The professor told a story I've never forgotten.

A man walks down the street with a cup of coffee.
Someone bumps into him.
Coffee spills everywhere.

The professor asked: "Why did he spill the coffee?"

Students guessed:

• "Because someone bumped into him."

• "Because he wasn't paying attention."

• "Because the sidewalk was crowded."

Wrong. All wrong.

He spilled the coffee because he was drinking coffee.

Most of us spend our lives trying to prevent ourselves from getting bumped.

The reality?

You're going to get bumped no matter what.

What matters more than avoiding the bump is what you put in your cup.

Today in 5 minutes or less:

✔️ The Cup Lesson

✔️ (Being Vulnerable) My Spill

✔️ How to Create Space (So You Don't Overflow)

☕ The Cup Lesson

If your cup is filled with anxiety, fear, or anger—someone bumps into you, that's what spills out.

If your cup is filled with grace, compassion, or love—someone bumps into you, that's what spills out.

Simple.

But here's the part most people miss…

It's not just about what you put in your cup.

It's also about how full you make it.

And that's where I kept messing up.

😬 (Being Vulnerable) My Spill

I struggle with feeling inadequate.

It's just there, like a program running in the background.

I am not good enough.

I can do all the breathwork, meditation, and prayer in the world, and that feeling still shows up.

So here's what happens:

I pack my schedule to the brim—even with good things. Things I'm grateful for. Things I genuinely want to do.

But when something goes sideways?

That inadequacy spills out.

My wife will say something harmless:
"Hey, did you get a chance to do that thing?"

And my automatic response when I’m in a state of overwhelm isn't rational.
It's defensive.
It's "I'm sorry I'm not good enough."

She wasn't casting inadequacy on me.

But my cup was too full.

And when I got bumped, that's what spilled.

🔁 How to Create Space (So You Don't Overflow)

This is what margin is actually about.

Not just having breathing room in your calendar.

But having space in your cup so when you get bumped (and you will), you don't spill negativity all over the people you care about.

Step 1: Audit what's filling your cup

Take 5 minutes and write down:

• What am I worried about right now?

• What am I grateful for?

• What am I carrying that isn't mine to carry?

You can't change what you're not aware of.

Step 2: Empty some of it out

Look at your calendar this week. What can you:

• Cancel (it wasn't that important)

• Delegate (someone else can handle it)

• Delay (doesn't need to happen this week)

Even removing ONE thing creates space.

Step 3: Choose what goes back in

Before you say yes to the next thing, ask:

• Does this align with where I'm going?

• Will this add to my cup or drain it?

• Am I saying yes out of obligation or intention?

When you do this, you've got room to handle your own shortcomings without projecting them onto others.

Here's the thing:

Try to fill your cup with all the right things—gratitude, compassion, love.

That way, if it's packed to the brim (which inevitably, sometimes it will be)…

At least the good stuff spills when you get bumped.

Your Move This Week:

Check your cup.

1. What are you filling it with?
Anxiety or gratitude? Fear or compassion? Resentment or grace?

2. How full are you letting it get?
Packed to the brim or with margin?

3. What's one thing you can remove this week?
Start there.

Because the bumps are coming either way.

The question is:
What spills out when they do?

To profiting more and working less. 💸 

-Matt

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