The Evangelical Universalist Forum

Stories of Inspiration

I’m not sure where to place this Catholic article. But it’s an inspirational article or story. :slight_smile:

The Stockdale Moment.

We are living in momentous times. In times like these we must reach into the Stockdale moment.

A professor entered his classroom with a glass of water. He raised the glass of water. everyone in the room expected the: half entry or half full” question.

Instead, to everyone’s surprise, the professor smiled and inquired: “ How heavy is this glass of water?”.

The answers called out for the range from 8 Oz to 15 Oz.

“ I need to weigh it to know how much exactly it weighs. But the question, I really want you to answer is – what if I held the glass up for a minute?”, asked the professor.

“ Nothing” the students answered unanimously.

“ But what if I hold it for an hour?” asked the professor.

“ Your arms will start aching “ , answered one of the students.

“ You are right!, But what if I held it up for a whole day?”, queried the professor.

“ Your arms will feel numb, your muscles get stressed and it may even get paralyzed” ventured an another student .

“ You are right!”, exclaimed the professor. “ So what should I do to avoid the pain “ asked the professor.

“ Keep the glass down”, answered a student.

“ Exactly!” said the professor. He continued “In all the case the weight of the glass remains the same. But, longer I held it up, heavier it becomes. The stress and worries in life are like the glass of water. If you think about them for a while, nothing happens. Think about them for longer, they will start hurting. Think about them for even longer, you will feel stress and be paralyzed ”

It is important to think about the problems in the life. But, you should not carry the stress long enough that it begins to ache and paralyze your life.

It is important to let go of your stresses. Don’t carry your stress all day and always remember to put the glass down before you go to bed!