One of my friends, Chris E., shared this experience with me today on the topic of stress management.  I thought it was well said and thought I would share with you on this blog.

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?”  Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, “the absolute weight doesn’t matter.  It depends on how long you try to hold it.  If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm.  If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance.  In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

He continued, “And that’s the way it is with stress management.  If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.”

“As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.  When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.”

So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down.  Don’t carry it home.  You can pick it up tomorrow.  Whatever burdens you’re carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can.  Relax.  Pick them up later after you’ve rested.  Life is short.  Enjoy it.

And then he shared some ways of dealing with stress and the burdens of life:

• Drive carefully.  It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.
• If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
• Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.
• When everything’s coming your way, you may be in the wrong lane.  Try changing.
• To the world you might be one person, but to one person you just might be the world.

A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour and not complain of the inconveniences.

Have an awsome day and try to be stress free!