New perspective on the half-full glass

This was posted on Facebook and I shared it there, so now I'm sharing it here too. This is a really good reminder to take charge of the stuff going on in your head, to look at things differently to create a more positive life. 

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.

Happy New Year! New Beginnings can even start today!

Well, it's January 10th and I should have resolved to write more often, to exercise more often, to eat better, and all those good things on January 1st. But, I think it's not too late to start now. At 11:45 on a Friday, I can resolve to begin to write more and be a better, healthier person.

I wrote about starting things at odd times for my Renate's Baton Blog. Here's a link to that post. On and around New Year's Day, I do wish people Happy New Year and wish them health and happiness, and I also wish those things for myself. But, I haven't done the New Year's Resolutions thing in a long time. I'm still not going to make a list, but I will be resolute for a while about starting off the year positively.

I'm turning 50 next month, and it's kind of looming. Sometimes it looms large and other times I think I can just ignore it. There are times when I don't think about it at all, but it keeps popping up.

I like how the Persians call the new year "Now Ruz" New Day. It reminds me that every day is a new day and every moment can bring change.

Celebrate the new day. Resolve to do something new any time, even now. I'm going to.