The Lake of Responsibility

In the beginning there is a lake, the Lake of Responsibility. Each of us are born with a cup in our hand meant for us to each dip our share from the lake. As we grow and life expands for us, there comes a time for each of us to dip in with our cup and take our share. For many, when they realize what the cup is for, they toss it away, dust off their hands and walk away, seemingly free of any responsibility. Others see this happening and become alarmed and think, NO! Someone must be responsible! Then they, too, toss their cup away and replace it with a bucket.

As the years go by, the hill of cups becomes a mountain. The world is out of balance and there are no rules and people are either running around empty-handed and lost or sloshing along with their buckets. Most of the bucket-holders have by now taken up two buckets when they found that one wasn't enough. So rocking along with the weight of all that responsibility heavy in their hands, they too are lost and filled with despair.

There is only one solution to correct this situation. Those who find their hands empty must go find their cup and finally dip their share and drink from the lake. The peace and stability that comes with accepting ones share of responsibility in life cannot be described, it must be experienced. Those rocking along, sloshing with their overfull buckets must set them down and walk away from the buckets. They must each go back and find their cup and only dip in for their share and stop trying to take care of all of the responsibility. The peace and relief of setting down the weight of the world and taking up just ones share cannot be described, it must be experienced.

In this way, one by one, each person takes up the cup of responsibility they were born to handle and balance, joy and peace can be restored to the world.

Do you know where your cup is?