One evening, a wise teacher entered a classroom holding a glass of water. The students expected the usual “half full or half empty” question. But instead, the teacher smiled and asked:
“How heavy is this glass of water?”
The students gave answers ranging from 100 to 500 grams.
The teacher nodded and said,
“The absolute weight doesn’t matter. What matters is how long I hold it.”
She raised the glass and continued:
“If I hold it for a minute, it’s light.
If I hold it for 30 minutes, my arm will ache.
If I hold it for an hour, my hand might go numb, and I won’t be able to feel it anymore.
The weight of the glass doesn’t change — but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels.”
Then she looked around the room and said softly:
“The same is true for stress and overthinking. If you think about a problem for a few minutes, that’s normal. But if you hold on to it for hours, it starts hurting you.
Keep holding it for days, and it starts to numb your peace, your body, and your mind.”
She gently set the glass down on the table and said,
“Sometimes, the best thing to do is put the glass down… rest your mind… and return with strength.”
Moral of the Story:
Stress and overthinking are like holding a glass of water — the longer you hold on, the heavier they feel. Don’t carry the weight longer than you need to. Let go, rest, and reset.