Saturday, August 31, 2013

The Weight & Burdens of Life's Stresses




A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: 
”How heavy is this glass of water?”

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, “The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. 
If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, 
I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

She continued, 
“The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. 
Think about them for a while and nothing happens. 
Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. 
And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.”

It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night. 

Remember to put the glass down!

65 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you! I really needed this. AS hard as it is to follow, i think it is important.

Anonymous said...

Me too....thank you x

Anonymous said...

This is very true but very difficult to put into practice! Thanks for the story

Anonymous said...

Putting the glass down isn't as hard as you might think! Do what you can to eliminate what is causing the stress, and do it to the very best of your ability, then let the situation play out , taking the appropriate actions as the situation progresses. That is all you can do anyway, so why carry the burden and worry it to dead or to Your death, unnecessarily?Stress like other emotions is contagious, so be sure it's your own stress that your taking on. And, like other contagious emotions,what you send out will come back to you.
Being pleasant during stressful times does not make you irresponsible,but it makes the whole situation much easier to bare. So, Put the Glass Down!

janette clough said...

Amazing. Will try and think of each of my pronlrms as if they were a glass of water

Anonymous said...

thank you for sharing this. It made me realized, what to do and what to think.

Anonymous said...

INSPIRED! !

Anonymous said...

It is very true but also very hard sometimes. If only our problems were as easy to get rid of as a glass of water!

Anonymous said...

Very well put. Thank you

Anonymous said...

That's really true

Anonymous said...

Very good advice.

Anonymous said...

Excellent advice!

abhijith said...

thanks a lot dude , really needed this

Anonymous said...

Thankyou for this..it is exactly what i needed to hear..and so true..i carry my problems and stress throughout the whole day and this has caused me problems with my health as I have high BP...I will try this glass of water advice and i pray that I can do this soon..as the stress is really causing me problems..I pray every day that the problems will find resolution..

Unknown said...

the battle is not yours is the Lord,when you think about it you done all you can let go and let God. All that energy you use time you wasted and God has already worked it out, drink the water in Put the glass down.GOD loves you

Anonymous said...

I agree with you,if we leave the glass on the counter for a while the h2o will evaporate if only our problems were as easy to get read of.

Haroon Kayani said...

Its a wonderful lesson of trying to get rid of STRESS, but the problem is that putting the Glass Down is a difficult proposition. Much that you might want and try to put it down, you still hold it tight in your hand as if it is the most prized possession you have. I believe doing this exercise requires a very strong Will Power.

Anonymous said...

Dnt put the glass dwn, tip it out!!! Thats the only way 2 let go.

Anonymous said...

This was just for me...Thanks!

Vijayalakshmi said...

I fully accept this concept. stresses and worries makes tension and finally depression. very good advise with comparing a glass of water in hand. wonderful.

Unknown said...

Joyce Meyer once said worry is like a rocking chair you're moving but getting nowhere. We need to learn to trust GOD with all of our worries.
I also find that hard to do. But our pastor taught one Sunday that we can't do anything about somethings. But GOD can, cause He is God and I
am not.

Unknown said...

Got it..thanks

Anonymous said...

Nice

Anonymous said...

It's so true, but it's easy talk than done in this era!

Anonymous said...

I wish I could.Been trying to for years.

Anonymous said...

So right!!!

A good way of saying it!!

Anonymous said...

When there is so much to deal with and you have no choice but to sort things that need and demand your time you simply cannot just forget or put them down. It swirls around your head all the time and days when you are so very ill and cannot do anything just add to the stain of not being able to get things changing and moving forwards. Grief is a hard thing to bear and their is a lot left to resolve that is left behind. I want to move as my dad died and no longer want his place as to many memories. Hard market now to sell? Needs repairs a few and painting, cleaning to perfection so it will sell. It is all getting to much and need help. I pray but nothing will change the fact that there is a lot to consider. I do not want to live where I am in this town yetwhere to move? So many decisions to make. Scared to make wrong choices? A few months ago my sister died and feel as though I am breaking down and am ill without this. I wake always stressed and angry screaming and crying. Hard to put these worries to rest eh?

Unknown said...

Hey! What exactness with which you have brought the point home.

Anonymous said...

It is difficult to do, but gets easier with practice. Just keep reminding yourself to put it down. I'm talking from personal experience. I watched my father die a lonely, bitter old man because he wouldn't "put down the glass". He blamed everyone else for his problems and refused to take responsibility for his life. As for myself, once I got away from my abusive family (I won't go into details here)I was finally able to feel the anger toward them that I had repressed starting in grade school. I slowly realized that I was only hurting myself with these feelings and prayed for help to release them. It took some time, and I sometimes think about the past, but I'm no longer controlled by it. Each day is a little better then the last. This may seem more like anger management, but anger comes from stress. I don't worry about what I have no control over, and decide how to best handle what I do have control over. If I make the wrong decision, it's a lesson learned and I'll know better next time. When I find myself dwelling on the past too much, I remind myself to "put it down". After all, no one can change the past.

Anonymous said...

If I can find something in the situation to laugh about - anything, no matter how trivial or crazy - it goes a long way to cutting the stress. The old saying "Laughter is the best medicine" is so very true.

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a perfect perspective. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

As of today, I declare to be stress free now that I've learned to put the glass down. Thanks for all you comments.

Anonymous said...

Professionals give advice in general but the real truth is that everyone has to deal with their problems/stress in the best way possible because individually only that person knows how hard is to deal with the challenge of sub Irving everyday like waking every night 2 or 3 times because your child have seizures and probably you have to leave with this for the rest of your life and the next day you have to put a cheerful face so you dont upset anyone about your broken heart or worse people instead of helping you morally they feel petty of you. It is tough but you have to go on to continue fighting with everything you got. Please dont tell me just to put the glass of water down that is just a figured speech it does not work for everyone, no apologies.

Anonymous said...

This is a great example to follow, this year has been a little complicated for me, a lot of stressfull situations started to make me ill, so now I consider we can move through the problems if we have two things: determination and perseverance it is hard but step by step we can do it.

Unknown said...

Outstanding! I was hoping someone would interject with what having faith in Jesus Christ will do. One doesn't have to think about a glass a water, or even concern themselves with the stress in the first place - the Lord says give ALL your cares to him! 1 Peter 5:6-7 "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." It's soooo true! It's sooo easy - just believe (which evidently, for some is NOT easy to do).

Anonymous said...

this must be on God's mind because it's been on so many people's mind and conversation of late, including mine, to my thrill and excitement God has created our unique brain to be able to choose His ways higher than our vein imaginations. our Frontal lobe is our insight into situations that allows us to see outside of ourselves, in my journey I've found that the longer I've hung onto the glass is while i'm hanging on to protecting me. I've learned that if we just follow Jesus and leave the details to grace's influence instead of the circumstances all will go well with my soul. then it's what glass?

Anonymous said...

Put the glass down. When you're done, you're done. Somewhere along the way, someone might come up with the brilliant idea that you need to pick it up again. Don't. Just refuse and live your life happily. :)

Anonymous said...

Thank you - wise words - and practise makes perfect.

Anonymous said...

I am praying for you now. Yes it is very hard and you do wake up crying. When you do, start praying and ask God to help make you strong. Sometimes I just start saying the Lord's prayer or quoting the 23rd Psalm. All during the day when it comes upon me, I just say to God "Help me". No it is not easy especially for some of us who feel so deeply. It is an everyday battle. Time will help but it is HARD.

Anonymous said...

I don't think it is pity it is empathy. Find someone that can help you. You need some rest. You are right in that while you are going through it , it seems impossible. Try to be with some good Christian friends who you can talk with and pray with. I have prayed for God to give you strength.

Anonymous said...

great words..so practical

Anonymous said...

It helped!! Thank you O wise one!!!

Anonymous said...

easy to say i lost my son 4 months go my hear its broken can't think sleep eat,
i don't thing i can be happy again i miss him to the point that i can't even see a tomorrow so put that glass down.

Anonymous said...

This helps a lot thanks

Pat DF in Atlanta said...

I agree with you 100% Warnar Hussey!!!

Instead of 'putting the glass down', with whatever issues/stress I might be having at the time, I just 'lift them right up to my Father God' who is always there for me, who wants me happy and will take care of these for me ... it works every single time!!!

God will also NEVER give us more than we can bear. If we weren't so human and so determined to try to fix things ourselves instead of just lifting all up to Him, we would save ourselves a LOT of heartache, grief, stress and depression!!

So yes, just drink that water in the glass (water is GOOD for you), put that glass down, then communicate with God you are lifting whatever right on up to Him ... NOW.

I have been through some traumatic times in my life, but much healthier, physically, mentally and emotionally, today (at well over a half century old) because I have been lifting things totally out of MY control to His control for most of my life.

I believe our destiny is already in place before we are even conceived by our parents ... our life map already laid out. So I know those 'bumps in the road of life' will be, but most of all, I know how to 'handle' them also. We can't change today or tomorrow anymore than we can change our history, this is a given. So why should one try to alter what CANNOT be changed?

Accept it and lift it!!!

Anonymous said...

thanks I needed that.

Anonymous said...

Sound good advice.

Anonymous said...

" Putting the glass down " In other words , give your glass to God and he will take care of it .

Anonymous said...

That's all very well said but just how do you do this, its not like you can just switch off. If there is a way I would really like to know.

Unknown said...

THIS IS SO MUCH LIKE ME I NEED TO PUT THE GLASS DOWN STRESS IS NOT GOOD I HAD A STROKE AT 40 AND 2 HEART ATTACKS AND NOW IM 56 AND FIGHTING CANCER. I PRAY EVERYDAY FOR THE LORD TO SHOW ME THE WAY. IM TRYING TO PUT THAT GLASS DOWN SPECIALLY IN THE EVENING.

Anonymous said...

This is my first time on this web site. I am very stressed ,confuse,hurt,betrayed .but reading all ur comment . I need to believe that everything left to god will lift my problems away. That u all again..

Anonymous said...

thank you for such helpful advice

Anonymous said...

On to this minute i am putting my glass down. I hope God will guide me on this journey. :) thanks

Anonymous said...

great way to start with stress

Anonymous said...

I find hard to put that glass down and its killing me

Anonymous said...

What if you can't eliminate the stress? What do you do then? Right now, I have no choice but to put up with it and the negative consquences that come with it.

Anonymous said...

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT, NOT AT ALL WHAT I EXPECTED IT TO READ, BUT SO TRUE. ONLY SOMETIMES ITS HARD TO PUT THAT GLASS (OR GLASSES) DOWN BUT HAVING READ THIS HAD GIVEN ME INSPIRATION TO GIVE IT ANOTHER TRY!!! X

Anonymous said...

Don't just put the glass down,pour its contents down the loo,put the lid down, flush it. Wash your hands smash the glass, sweep it up put it in the bin- securely closing the bin lid. Walk away. Use paper cups from now on!

Anonymous said...

It makes a lot of sense and it also will take a while to put it into practise but I will. Thank you

Anonymous said...

Put "The Glass down" as soon as possible and take up the name of Jesus. His name is bigger than cancer. Know the authority you have in Christ because He has given it to you to use and cancer MUST bow its knee. I have learned that in times like these not to pray to the Father because He has given us the answer in His son, but to speak direct to the sickness and in this case cancer. Jesus said to speak to the mountain and it will move. Job said ch 22v28 YOU shall declare a thing and it will be established for YOU so light will shine on your path. God wants to establish things and is waiting for us to declare...declare your healing in Jesus name and keep on declaring it till you are healed....It is The Word that has the power to heal but we must speak it. Do be encouraged in your walk with Him...I can reccomend a great book....The Believers Authority by Kenneth.E.Hagin

Anonymous said...

It was for all of us:) love it...ty

Anonymous said...

Fuck these dumb religious cunts. I hope that your kids get killed or a family member gets murdered and then lets see where your faith will get you. Go on, put all your cares over to god then and keep on believing senseless deaths are gods will. That will make you feel better!!!

Anonymous said...

Im going through depression for 23 years this week I had words with my daughter and now I have double depression
I'm sick old man and I can't take this much longer
Pray for me

Anonymous said...

I am fed up of my glass always being heavy, I'm not going to let people drag me down any more , I owe it to myself to be happy

Anonymous said...

Some times easier said than done