A psychology professor went around on a stage, lecturing about stress management methods to a packed auditorium.
Everyone expected to be asked the standard "glass half empty or glass half full" question when she raised a glass of water. Instead, the lecturer asked, "How heavy is this glass of water I'm holding?" with a smile on her face.
Students yelled replies ranging from eight ounces to several pounds.
"From my perspective, the absolute weight of this glass doesn't matter," she said. It all depends on how long I keep it in my hand. It's fairly light if I hold it for a minute or two. Its weight may cause my arm to ache if I hold it for an hour straight.
My arm will cramp up and feel absolutely useless and paralyzed if I hold it for a day straight, prompting me to drop the glass to the floor. The weight of the glass is constant in each example, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels."
"Your pressures and worries in life are very much like this glass of water," she added, as the students nodded in agreement. Nothing happens if you think about them for a time. You start to ache a little when you think about them for a while. You'll feel absolutely lifeless and paralyzed if you think about them all day, and you won't be able to accomplish anything else until you drop them."