A professor walked into his class and decided to teach his students a lesson on how to handle stress. He brought out a glass and placed it on his table. Then, he began to pour water into the glass until it was filled to its brim. The students kept quiet and watched.
Facing the students, the professor then took the glass of water and asked:
“How heavy is this glass of water?
Melissa, would you care to answer?”
In a low tone, Melissa answered; “Um… 8 ounces?”
Then another student said: “12 ounces.”
The professor shook his head in disagreement. Then, a third student said “…16 ounces?”
Then the professor said that the absolute weight of a glass doesn’t matter; it depends on how long you hold on to it.
“If I hold on to it for a minute, nothing would happen. If I hold it for an hour, my arm will begin to ache. If I hold it all day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed.” Remember, the weight of the glass didn't changed, but the longer you hold it; the heavier it becomes.
Stress and worries of life are like the glass of water, if you think about them for a little while, there’s no problem. But if you think about them for a little bit longer, it begins to hurt. Think about them all day long and you would feel paralyzed and incapable of doing anything.
Power line: The best way to handle your glass of water is to put the glass down.