Emptying the Teacup

Author

Bradley Woods
February 18, 2026

In partnership with

My Friend,

There is a teaching story about a wealthy, educated man who visited a Zen master to learn the secret of life. As the man bragged about his many accomplishments and degrees, the master began to pour him a cup of tea.

The master kept pouring until the cup was full, then the saucer, then the tablecloth, and finally, tea was dripping onto the man’s expensive suit. The man jumped back. "It’s overflowing! Why are you still pouring?". The master smiled. "You are like this cup. You are so full of yourself that you have no room for anything new".

The Law of the Vacuum

The Universe abhors a vacuum. If you want your dream to come in, you have to make room for it. Most of us are so full of our problems, our "special cases," and our reasons why things won't work that we’ve left no space for the solution.

  • Circulation is Life: To receive more, you must begin to give.

  • Release the Kink: Withholding love, money, or ideas is like putting a kink in a hose.

  • The 90% Principle: When you tithe or give, you aren't "losing" 10%; you are opening the windows for a blessing you can't even contain.

Becoming a Receiver

The more you read my emails, the more success you will have because you are learning to empty your cup of old limitations. You are going to realize you are grateful for having clicked the links in my email because you are finally activating the law of receiving through the practice of circulation.

You don't need to figure out how to make the corn grow; you just need to prepare the soil and plant the seed. Are you willing to bless what you have right now—even the "small" things—to create the field for your abundance?

Create the freedom you desire by joining a community that gives back: https://www.bradleydeanwoods.com/af-mentor

What is one thing—an old grudge, a physical item, or a limiting belief—that you are clearing out today to make room for your dream?

P.S. Tomorrow, I’m going to share the secret of the "Still Small Voice" and why it doesn't shout, even when your house is flooding.

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