Always remember to put the glass down

Always remember to put the glass down

A psychologist was walking around the lecture hall, while teaching stress management to an audience of eager students. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face she inquired, “How heavy is this glass of water?” The answers rang out ranging from 8 oz to 20 oz. She replied, “The actual weight doesn’t matter. It all depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” She continued, “The stress and worries in life are like this glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them for a bit longer and they begin to hurt, but if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.” Always remember to put the glass down