Put down the negativity

  When I first watched this video, as the professor poured the water into a glass, I expected him to ask the typical “glass half empty or glass half full” question. Instead, the professor asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?” Students shouted out answers ranging from eight ounces to sixteen ounces. He replied, “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, he 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 bi...