247E-Book Story: The Weight of the Glass

The Weight of the Glass


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.