It may be when we no longer know what we have to do, we have come to our real work, and that when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey. – Wendell Berry
A psychology professor walked around on a stage teaching stress management principles to an auditorium filled with students. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the typical “glass half empty or glass half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, the professor asked, “How heavy is this glass of water I’m holding?”
Students shouted out answers ranging from eight ounces to a couple of pounds.
She replied, “From my perspective, the absolute weight of this glass doesn’t matter. 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.”
Letting go of our burdens can feel overwhelming at times. The fact is, we get used to carrying this heavy weight around and on some level, there is comfort in this identity. When we release this heaviness, we begin to see the path that will begin our real journey. That will open the doors to our real work in this world, and help us discover our deep passion for life.
LIVING IN THIS MOMENT 
wonderful encouragement
to drink the precious water
and pass the glass on
for another to use 🙂
Yes, that feels so much lighter.
It can be very expensive for our physical and mental health, if we forget to release ourselves from the stress. I know by personal experience. Great post as always Karen.
It’s true Irene. Each time we release the heaviness, we move forward.
The strangest thing for me lately is that instead of entering the nursing home to visit my husband with a feeling of agitation, I now feel a sense of relief and calm when I am in his room. You have inspired me to write a post about this! Thank you.
It’s great that you are feeling this way Julie. I am glad you feel inspired. I look forward to reading it.
“. . . we get used to carrying this heavy weight around and on some level, there is comfort in this identity.”
This is extremely perceptive, and true. For some, at certain points in their life, feeling something, however unpleasant, is preferable to feeling nothing – as you suggest, it validates through identification; I feel therefore I am. A wonderfully insightful article Karen, for which many thanks.
Thankyou Hariod. I always have a choice. To let go, or hold onto my pain. We each hold the power to do this.
Sooo much truth in this, Karen. Change, even if it’s good, can be frightening, and it’s oftentimes easier to cling to the ‘devil you know.’ Just love this post…
I love it too Lori, because letting go is what changes our life and leads us to fullness. We all understand this choice.
I’ve really enjoyed your post! I found it so true. When we keep our stress and worries within our selves our creativity diminishes and disappear. I saw that in a friend of mine. She quit her job as a waiter to do painting instead. She managed to do that by allowing herself to follow her own inspiration a timing. No pressure! I saw that in myself as well. When I get worried for the future and I set unrealistic expectations I simply cannot function. Nice post!
This is a great example of change. It takes courage to step out of the familiar, and into our real journey. Thankyou for sharing this story.
Love the quote and story Karen – thank you! ❤
Diana xo
Thankyou Diana. I hope you and your family are doing okay. Much love.
Yes, I always love this story about the glass as it is a different perspective to view the question, and that is how we may approach our lives as well, turn things around, look at them from a different perspective and we can become clear of just what we are carrying.
Changing our perspective is exactly how we begin to see a solution. Thankyou.
Reblogged this on dreamweaver333 and commented:
Thank you
Thankyou Dreamweaver.
I hadn’t heard that story about the glass. So true. I used to sometimes ask my clients to carry stones in their purses or pockets, with the names of their issues on them. They would take them out one at a time as they worked through them. Or bricks in a sack or whatever. Just to feel the heaviness and be willing to let go of some of their baggage. Sometimes we need little stories or exercises to concretize what is going on inwardly, so as to bypass the intellect or ego. Thank you for this post, Karen. Great analogy.
Mary
I love the analogy of the stones too Mary. To name our issues and consciously let them go is very powerful. I agree these exercises help us move through our heaviness. Thankyou for your suggestions. Blessings.
Wonderful post, Karen! Thanks for the gentle reminder…I have some real baggage causing me to be numb…time to “drop” it! 😉 Have a beautiful Thanksgiving!
Yes time to “drop it” Lorrie. You definitely know how to do this, and your shining light is needed in this world. I hope your thanksgiving is wonderful too.
Thank you kind soul!!! ❤
Love the story, but particularly the Berry quote. I think my real work is coming to me . . . :).
I am so glad to hear this Kay. It is exciting to know it may just be around the corner. The Berry quote really moved me too. TIme is too short not to be doing what we love!
Thought-provoking, Karen. Thank you!
Thankyou Jennifer. Happy Thanksgiving.
Wonderful post, and so resonates with me. Thanks Karen.
I am glad. Thankyou. 🙂
Excellent analogy, yet setting down those stresses and miseries is quite difficult. But I’m working on it!
I like that you are working on this Emilie! It is always worth it. Have a lovely day.
now, there is a story….
Reminds me of:
This is an apology letter to the both of us for how long it took me to let things go.
~ Buddy Wakefield
Great quote. Love it. We could all use an apology. 🙂
Super post, Karen. Such a great way to illustrate the effects of long term stress. Let it go! 🙂
Yep, great idea Eliza, and we have a the most beautiful nature to practice in. 🙂
That we do! 🙂
Great story! I’m going to share it with my clients. That will help me remember it and help them, too. Lot’s of discussion material!
That’s great Joanna. I think it is a wonderful tool to help us move forward.
Reblogged this on Top of JC's Mind and commented:
I needed to read this – and will most likely need to read it again and again.
Thank you for sharing this. I really appreciate it, particularly as I approach the one year anniversary of a bout of shingles triggered by too much stress.
Thankyou Joanne, I appreciate it. I think we all need to be reminded. I have heard that shingles is very painful, and I agree that stress definitely compromises our immune system. 🙂
I love this story Karen! and especially these words ..
“The fact is, we get used to carrying this heavy weight around and on some level, there is comfort in this identity. When we release this heaviness, we begin to see the path that will begin our real journey. ”
xo
Thankyou Val. I have seen this in myself and in so many others, and I always see a clearer path when I let go. Have a lovely day and thanksgiving if you celebrate it. 🙂
Thank you Karen. thanksgiving is not such a tradition for me, but we have been invited to a lovely family gathering with dear friends!
Gratitude doesn’t have to be on the last Thursday in November 💛🙏💛🙏
A great and simple lesson. Thanks Karen.
I guess acceptance can go a long way in healing us Karen, i never thought of it that way. Thanks again for enlightening me.
Sorry Kath, your comments were in spam for some reason?? I just retrieved them! I have been missing you on my blog. Thankyou.
That does happen to me too but I am also way behind on reading posts Karen. they are all waiting in my inbox so hopefully in the next couple of days I will play catch up. Too many people I follow.
My pleasure, everyone teaches me too. Acceptance and letting go. My mantra!
PS and yes keeping up with all the bloggers is a full time job!