*“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.
*Adapted from “Top 100 Motivational Stories: The Best Inspirational Short Stories and Anecdotes of All Time”
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.’”
How many of your students, kids, players, clients, or even perhaps co-workers would benefit from hearing this story? We all know that chronic anxiety and depression are impacting kids at unprecedented levels. Then again, how many of us – adults – would benefit from considering how this story applies in our own lives? You’ve got some problems too, right? I know I do. We all do. If you are trying to do the work, make a living, and pay the bills as a teacher, administrator, counselor, coach, or parent; you’ve got significant pressures and stresses coming at you from multiple directions. I have found, however, that these pressures only really sap my energy and enthusiasm when I ruminate on them – when I think about them endlessly and worry about them – like the prof holding the glass of water in our story. It’s time for me to set down the glass so that I can enjoy the day and the opportunities that today provides. How about you?
Until next time….Laugh a Lot, Love a Lot, and Have an Excellent Edventure!
- Dr. Rick Albright
