The weight of our stress
A psychology professor teaching stress management principles held up a glass of water and asked her students a different question than the expected half empty/half full one. She asked “How heavy is this glass of water I’m holding?” Students shouted out answers ranging from eight ounces to a couple of 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, forcimg me to drop it.
In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels to me.”
She went on to say “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.” from Proctor Gallagher Institute
It’s important for us to remember to let go of our stresses and worries, especially those we have no control over!
No matter what happens during the day, we need to put all our burdens down. We don’t want to carry them through the night and into the next day with us.
If we still feel the weight of yesterday’s stress, it’s a strong sign that it’s time for us to put the glass down. And to do it as often as necessary.
(lather, rinse, repeat!)
5 Comments
Nicely said!
Very well said!
My son was kicking his toy down the hallway, muttering to himself, “If he’s told me once, he’s told me a 1000 times, if you turn off the toy when you’re finished playing with it, the battery won’t run down.”
This has become a family meme for 50 years that we all have yet to put into practice. I “know” the law, and yet I have to keep reminding myself to use it properly.
Sandy and Tish and Meg: You are all such early risers! I love hearing from you!
Very Zen! As the current covid-19 invasion is teaching us, we have very little control in this life. We can only control our reaction. Some are burying their heads in the sand, some are overly paranoid. Perhaps our lesson is to practice peace in our own minds, hearts and spirits. Nature is very effective at giving us situations, conditions that test us. After all, all the spiritual masters tell us, there is one God and we are all part of that God. We humans will keep getting that lesson until we all surrender.