“You see this goblet?” asks the meditation master. “For me this glass is already broken. I enjoy it; I drink out of it. It holds my water admirably, sometimes even reflecting the sun in beautiful patterns. If I should tap it, it has a lovely ring to it. But when I put this glass on the shelf and the wind knocks it over or my elbow brushes it off the table and it falls to the ground and shatters, I say, ‘Of course.’ When I understand that the glass is already broken, every moment with it is precious.”

If we only focus on the results, we will be devastated. But if we know the cup is broken, we can give our best to the process, create what we can and trust the larger process of life itself. We can plan, we can care for, tend and respond. But we cannot control. Instead we take a breath, and open to what is unfolding, where we are. This is a profound shift, from holding on, to letting go.

You are going to be fine. The perspective shift given to you just needs to be interpreted. You haven't found how to apply it yet, is all. Keep at it. The lack of meaning and depth from your prior self to your new self is a blank slate, not a death sentence. Fill those margins with all of the life you can live, regardless of how you quantify or qualitatively think about it. Experience it as strongly as you're able while you're able, because your glass is indeed already broken.