Found this story somewhere and I am putting it down followed by my views on it –
Put the glass down
Once a professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see and asked the students, ‘now, my question is: What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?’
‘Nothing’ the students said.
“OK what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?” the professor asked.
“Your arm would begin to ache” said one of the students.
“You’re right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?”
“Your arm could go numb; you might have severe muscle stress & paralysis; have to go to hospital for sure!” Ventured another student, all the students laughed.
“Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?” Asked the professor.
“No” was the reply of all the students.
“Then what caused the arm to ache; the muscle to stress?” After a pause the professor asked “Before my arm ache, what should I do?”
The students were puzzled.
“Put the glass down!” said one of the students.
“Exactly!” said the professor, “Life’s problems are exactly like this. Hold it for a few minutes in your head; they seem OK. Think of them for a long time; they begin to ache. Hold it even longer; they begin to paralyze you. You will not be able to do anything.”
The above story conveys a wonderful message in a very simple way. All our problems, in themselves, are not any trouble. They become so when we are not able to let them go, and hold on to them. We all know that worrying about a problem (person or situation) will not do any good to the output which we are expecting. But still, many times, we can’t stop thinking and worrying about that problem. This not only makes the problem look bigger than it is, it also effects other people and situations around us.
Putting the glass down is a very important task which we need to do regularly in our daily lives. Whether it is a problem at the workplace or at home, it is very important to regularly let it go so as we are really able to enjoy life and all what it has to offer. Holding on is what only makes the problem bigger and bigger all the time. By letting go, we will not get unnecessary tension and instead feel relaxed and ready to take on other areas of your life which need your attention.
So, remember to put those glasses down today which you have been holding on for long, and keep doing it regularly.
awesome…. hq thinking…
I liked it .. but somehow I feel, problems are meant to be solved. To solve the problem we hold on to them and think about them . Things don’t work out themselves. We need to take them up and solve them. This story seems true only for those problems over which human has got no control.
Its humane to be disturbed by problems. This is how we have been crafted.. we solve something only when they interfere within our comfortable life routine.
Gunjan, the point is not to let the problems overtake our lives, and our minds. Yes, they need to be solved and sometimes hard work is needed to solve them. But in focusing on the problems, we forget to focus on whats good in our lives.
In a way, we don’t have control over any problem, only its solution. Unnecessary worrying about the problem will not solve it. Anuraag said it right “the point is not to let the problems overtake our lives, and our minds”
Even if I have a problem, it is better solved by giving 1-2 hours to it than thinking and worrying about it the whole day, and that was the essence of this story!!
if the problem can be solved, there is no use to be worried about it, if it can’t be solved then worrying would do no good
Interesting!
Both the post as well as the comment discussions.
Letting Go
Two monks were walking down a dusty road. They soon came to a rushing river which they had to cross by wading over. At the riverside was a woman standing there, just looking at the fast water and clearly afraid to cross over. The first monk asked if he could help her and offered to carry her across. She accepted and he picked her up and took her safely to the other side. The second monk followed in silence. Then the two monks and the woman parted ways.
After several hours the second monk said to the first.
“Brother, why is it you picked up that woman by the river, you know we are not allowed to touch women?”
The first monk replied: “ Brother, I put the woman down on the other side of the river, why are you still carrying her?”