HOW HEAVY IS YOUR GLASS OF WATER?

A young lady confidently walked around the room while explaining stress management to an audience. With a raised glass of water (everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, 'half empty or half full?', she fooled them all.

"How heavy is this glass of water?" she inquired with a smile.
Answers, called out, ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I 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." She continued, "And that's the way it is with stress. 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, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night. Pick them up tomorrow.
"Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment. Relax, pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it, as well as the now 'supposed' stress that you've conquered!"

1. Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the
statue!
2. Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
3. Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
4. Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.
5. If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
6. If you lend someone £ 20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth
it.
7. It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to
others.
8. Never buy a car you can't push.
9. Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have
a leg to stand on.
10. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
11. Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
12. The second mouse gets the cheese.
13. When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
14. Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
15. You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one
person.
16. Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.
17. We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are
dull. Some have weird names and all are different colours, but they all have to
live in the same box.
18. A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
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Dear Friends!

The above email was sent to me a few days ago. To which I replied the following:

“Great Joan!

The story of the glass of water is the one I tell my clients. It is so poignant! Many of them and I have been carrying burdens around for so many years that we no longer care to count. I am a prime example of what happens when you do not get rid of them. It wasn't as if I wasn't trying, but I wasn't successful and maybe I continued to choose the stress-filled life. Cancer was inevitable with the life I was living!

I understand all of that now! Only TOO well!

I like to think I am now serving as an example of how to cope with what I have; So the advice of:

IT MAY BE THAT YOUR SOLE PURPOSE IN LIFE IS SIMPLY TO SERVE AS A WARNING TO OTHERS.

So maybe at least I have played this role for others as the prime example of how not to be stressed out!

Love you Joan!

Bridget”