The Glass Of Water
A teacher was explaining stress management to his group of science students.
He raised a glass of water and asked “How heavy is this glass of water?”
Students answers ranged from 20 grams to 500 grams.
The teacher replied “the absolute weight doesn’t matter—it depends on how long you try to hold it.”
“If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem.
“If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm”.
“If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance.”
“In each case, it’s all the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”
He continued by saying “And that’s the way it is with expectations...
As they become increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.
As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for awhile and rest before holding it again.
Then we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the expectation.
So, before you return home tonight, put the burden or expectation down.
Don’t carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow if you like.