The professor begun the class by taking the glass full of water in his hand. He picked it up and lift it in the air and asked:
– What do you think… how heavy is this glass?
– 50 grams, 100 garms.. 125 grams, 300 grams – students tried to guess.
– The truth is – said the professor – I have no clue myself. And until we measure it, we won’t be sure. But the purpose of my question was something else. What will happen if I hold this glass up in the air, let’s say for a couple of minutes?
– Nothing – replied one of the students.
– All right. How about an hour?
– Your hand will start to ache – replied another one.
– That’s quite correct. But then, what will happen if I just hold it like this the whole day? – professor insisted.
– Your hand will start hurting more and more, then your muscles will paralyse because of the pain. In time, you’ll have to go to see the doctor. – replied the same student.
– Very good! – said the professor calmly – And while all of this is happening, do you think that the weight of the glass had changed?
– Not in a bit! Of course not! – the students replied in choir.
– Then what is the source of the pain in my arm and muscle spasms?
Students were now suddenly quiet. Confused. It was one of these riddle situations and all together were thinking hard to find an answer.
– What should I do in this situation to get rid of the burden and pain in this situation? – professor asked all of them.
After some more silence – the answer came:
– You should drop the glass!
Professor nearly jumped.
– Yes, that is the answer! Let the glass go! Drop it! The same thing happens with your problems and your heavy thoughts. To think of them for a couple of minutes is normal and nothing is wrong with that.
If you do, however, hold them in your mind for the longer periods of time, you will feel the pain. If you persist in holding them, you’ll be paralysed. You won’t be able to do anything else.
It is very important to think of and to draw the conclusions from the things and situations that happen in your life, but it is even more important to know how to liberate your mind from them at the end of the day. How to let them go, how to drop them before you get to sleep.
You’ll save yourself from the lots of stress and strain and every morning you’ll wake up fresh and shiny.
You will feel that you’re filled with a new strength and you will cope up with your problems with more ease, whatever your situation may be.