The Glass of Water

I came across this really great story a few weeks ago.  I do not know the original source, as I think it is one of those things that gets passed around in many different forms.  But if you do know where it came from please let me know and I will gladly credit it.

This is a really great story for how important it is not to hold on to things.  Stress, anger, negativity, and worry all weigh and become a lot of extra "weight" to carry around.

"A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz. She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.” Remember to put the glass down."

Think about what you are holding onto now and tell yourself to "put the glass down."

The Wisdom of Nelson Mandela: Final Day

We end our tribute to Nelson Mandela with what is my favorite quote of his.  It is a true statement of how important it is that you not only surround yourself with positivity but that you spread it to others.  We were born to be happy, loving, content people.  We were not born to hate and be negative.

Spreading hate only brings more hate, so spreading love only brings more love.  Which sounds better to you?  

It is also important to teach love to others.  Be a model of love and positivity.  Be a model of gratitude and compassion.  It will rub off on others.  People can only learn to hate by seeing examples of it and reasons from others.  Don't be that person that is always angry and show hatred.  Be the person that looks for and recognizes the good in the situation.

Love comes naturally, so live your life with love.

The Wisdom of Nelson Mandela: Day 6

To have courage in life does not mean that you do not have any fear.  Fear is something that drives us and challenges us in life.  It pushes us to try new things and test our limits.  When you take that challenge and push yourself to try new things you then triumph over it.

When you avoid the things that give you fear you are actually feeding into the fear more.  As spoken about in one of our past blog entries, "Fear", you are actually better of trying the thing that you are afraid of.  By doing so you then know what the result is.  If you never try you will never know.  And in most cases it is actually not as scary as you thought it would be.  The mind tends to go to the worst case scenario and in many times focus on things that would never even happen.

Live your life by just doing just that, live it!  You can always look back and learn from it and say 'I shouldn't have done that'.

The Wisdom of Nelson Mandela: Day 5

You were put on this earth and given this life for a reason.  You have a passion and purpose and are meant to spend your life doing that.  You need to live your life to the fullest and expect nothing less.  If you don't expect and want the best for yourself and just settle for what you have then you are going to get a life that is less than what you are capable for.

Challenge yourself to always step up to the next level once you realize you have achieved what you are working for.  Always push yourself to get all you can out of life and to live it to its fullest potential.  Do not settle for less and Live Your Life!

Day 4: The Wisdom of Nelson Mandela

In order to live a life that is free of pain, despair, unhappiness, and negativity you need to free yourself of all those things.  And while this quote is mostly referring to his fight for the freedom of all people not just himself, it has other meaning as well.  If you go through life with total respect and desire to celebrate the differences in others you will gain freedom and love in your own life.

When you judge people by their differences, make fun of their desires and goals in life, or stop others from being or getting what they want you are in fact blocking your own freedom.  We have learned before that one of the best ways to be happy is to make others happy.  Joy rises in us when we see the joy in others.  Think of how much better it would be to just be happy and grateful for all the differences among us in life rather than judge and spread hate against it.  Those who wish hate on others are simply reflecting their own personal judgments of themselves onto others.  Spread love and free the world, don't chain it up in negativity.

The Wisdom of Nelson Mandela: Day 3

No matter what circumstances are thrown at you, you can achieve greatness and success.  You were meant for greatness and success.  This is very similar to my favorite Bishop TD Jakes lesson regarding the bow and arrow, "the greater the digression the greater the progression."  An arrow has to be pulled back in order to be thrust forward.  When life pulls you back it is simply getting ready to push you into the greatness you deserve.

And when finding your purpose in life or when aiming for success it is your passion that drives it.  It would be hard to find someone who has achieved success without struggle, setbacks, and bumps in the road.  But what kept them going was passion.  If you remain focused on the thing that burns the passion inside of you and stay determined that no matter what it will happen, then you will achieve that which you aim for.

Find and recognize your passion and that will lead you to your purpose which will lead you to success.