Take 5: 16 April 2018 by Mrs Palan
Take 5 – Sharing an experience – The weight of a glass.
Good morning Mdm Tan, Mr Chung, Mrs Selva, Teachers and Gessians,
Let me have your attention as I’m going to share a personal learning that is so simple and would be helpful for all of us in facing our challenges and remind us of our core value RESILIENCE.
I hope the twist that I’ve put in here will inspire you to think differently.
A few years back a friend of mine shared a story with me. It was about a very interesting course she attended by a psychologist on stress management. There was one very important message she shared in this story, that has helped me during times when I face life’s challenges. Let me share the experience.
The course was in a lecture theatre. The psychologist was presenting his course materials on stress management principles to his audience who were adults and students. The psychologist then walked to the table in the middle of the stage and poured a glass of water. As she raised the glass of water, most of the audience expected they’d be asked the typical question. Is the glass half empty or half full? It was a common question to ask. Instead, with a smile on her face, the professor asked, “How heavy is this glass of water I’m holding?”
The audience started thinking that depends on two things, the weight of that glass she is holding and the amount of water. There was some response from the audience. The answers ranged from 500 grams to 1 kilogram.
The psychologist 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 audience nodded 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.”
The moral of this story is: It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses and worries. No matter what happens during the day, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the night and into the next day with you. If you still feel the weight of yesterday’s stress, it’s a strong sign that it’s time to put the glass down.
Do remember as you face challenges and unhappiness, not to let it bother you for too long. Hope you will remember the effects of the weight of the glass and not to hold it too long. Thanks for listening to my sharing and wish all of you will learn to be resilient as you face challenges.