Um, hello? Hello? Anybody there? Is this thing on? Oh. There we go. Now, where was I? Brushing the cobwebs off the old blog, for starters.
So I’m here. Today. But not for long. Still busy as all get-out and with a brain still completely devoid of anything worth writing. But I did receive a very timely e-mail, and while I don’t usually post e-mail forwards, I thought this was particularly insightful. Given the fact that stress has ruled my very existence these days, I thought I’d take my own medicine and then share it with you all.
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.”
Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
-
- Accept that some days you’re the pigeon,and some days you’re the statue.
- Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
- Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
- 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.
- If you loan someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
- It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply be kind to others.
- Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.
- Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.
- Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
- The second mouse gets the cheese.
- When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.
- Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
- You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
- Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
- 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 colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
- A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
Hmm. I couldn’t have said it better myself.
So I didn’t.
Ed. note: Just to show you how hard I’m trying, I WILL NOT OBSESS about that extra bullet up there that I couldn’t get rid of. I will not.
Gah!
February 21, 2008 at 2:17 pm
What extra bullet? I don’t see it. Hope your stress level lessens soon.
February 21, 2008 at 5:36 pm
That water glass analogy is pretty great!! Deep breaths now… in… and out…
February 21, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Sigh…, but I can’t remember them when I need to, except for being the statue an inordinate amount of time. Not that I’m complaining, or anything.
February 21, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Greetings, Wordnerd. Looks like we’ve both been on somewhat of a blog break.
February 21, 2008 at 9:46 pm
There must be something in the air. And, that everyone is sick. Hope you are feeling mentally healthier soon. Those statements can be a good little pep talk.
February 21, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Well it seems great minds think alike, since we both have had horrible blogging habits lately
February 22, 2008 at 9:38 am
I don’t see the extra bullet either – did you obsess and fix it?
February 22, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Me either re: the bullet thing. And it’s driving me CRAZY!
Today, I am the pigeon, and it feels good.
February 22, 2008 at 1:15 pm
I think I’m more a statue kinda guy and one that’s been holding a glass of water a long time. But I’m working on it.
February 22, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Some days you’re the bug and some days you’re the windshield…
I understand the stress and pressure. I’m trying to learn to let certain things go realizing when I’m dead and gone a lot of these “glasses of water” I hold will amount to absolutely nothing.
Good post I need the reminder today.
February 22, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Ack! Y’all don’t see it? So it’s just here to bug me? It should be at the beginning of the bulleted items — there are two next to each other.
Someone please help me.
February 22, 2008 at 5:08 pm
You know there’s something strangely consoling in knowing that others have complete stress outs as well. Makes me feel completely normal. Wednesday I was the statue, Today, I’m the pigeon! I’m up and down like the stock market these days. Maybe that’s just the way it’s meant to be.
February 22, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Welcome back Wordy. The world is a better place now!
February 26, 2008 at 10:13 am
IF it’s any consolation, I see the extra bullet, but I choose to believe it’s there because the first point was the most important.
February 27, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Very good analogy. I’m going to save that one.
And what the heck is that extra bullet? It’s very distracting.
::kidding::