Put the Glass Down

This post is kind of short and sweet, but I feel it carries a fairly powerful message. I read this fantastic analogy a while back about stress management. We deal with stress in our every-day lives, but this time of year, for various reasons, it can often affect a lot of people a bit more, so I thought it was a great time to share this:



A psychologist walked into a room while teaching stress management to an audience. 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?"

Answers called out range from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It 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 stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed -- incapable of doing anything." 

Remember to put the glass down.

~Trin