Once
upon a time a psychology professor walked around on a stage while teaching
stress management principles to an auditorium filled with students. As she raised a glass of water, everyone
expected they’d be asked the typical “glass half empty or glass half full”
question. Instead, with a smile on her
face, the professor asked, “How heavy is this glass of water I’m holding?” Students
shouted out answers ranging from eight ounces to a couple pounds. She replied,
“From my perspective, the absolute weight of this glass doesn’t matter. It all depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute or two, it’s fairly
light. If I hold it for an hour
straight, its weight might make my arm ache a little. If I hold it for a day straight, my arm will
likely cramp up and feel completely numb and paralyzed, forcing me to drop the
glass to the floor. In each case, the
weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it
feels to me.” As the class shook their heads in agreement, she continued, “Your
stresses and worries in life are very much like this glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing
happens. Think about them a bit longer
and you begin to ache a little. Think
about them all day long, and you will feel completely numb and paralyzed –
incapable of doing anything else until you drop them.”
The
moral: It’s important to remember to let go of your
stresses and worries. No matter what
happens during the day, as early in the evening as you can, put all your
burdens down. Don’t carry them through
the night and into the next day with you.
If you still feel the weight of yesterday’s stress, it’s a strong sign
that it’s time to put the glass down.
Note
: This motivational story has been taken from www.marcandangel.com. Do visit
this site for more such stories.