The Glass of Water

This is a story that I have heard a long time ago. I don’t remember the author, and since I’ll be paraphrasing and telling it my way, it’s likely different from the original. That being said, the point remains the same and I’m hoping that you appreciate it as much as I did back then…

A teacher filled a glass of water and asked her students how heavy it was. As you can expect, there was a wide range of answers.

“The absolute weight of this glass doesn’t matter”, said the teacher. “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.”

This is a true analogy for everyone including myself, but it’s particularly fitting for the newer generations. This is to remind you to take a step back, take a chill pill. I know dozens of people in their mid-20’s who are literally working away the best decade of their life because they want to be a hustler and achieve financial freedom.

Moral of the story: While there’s nothing wrong with working hard, you shouldn’t sacrifice your quality of life for a big pay cheque. It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses and worries. Live life!