Becky & Linda, 2005

I have over-booked myself—not just for this week, but for the entire year. Have you done that too, or were you smarter than me?

I am trying to do everything I have committed to while still maintaining some level of grace under pressure. No, grace is too extreme for me… I am trying to be nice under pressure. I have found that it’s much easier to be nice to friends, acquaintances, and even strangers than it is to maintain nice-ness with those I love the most. My poor husband, and my mom, get it the worst from me because, after all, I know that no matter what, they always usually forgive me. So I am working extra hard not to let the stress jump out at either of them.

That leads me to this. A friend forwarded an ‘uplifting’ email to me. In the same way the chain letters are lost on me, usually uplifting emails go into my junk folder very quickly. But this one is really good and I am happy to have received it. I have no idea who wrote it but it is worth sharing with you.

A Great Lesson on Stress

A young lady confidently walked around the room with a raised glass of water while leading a seminar and explaining stress management to her audience.

Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, ‘Half empty or half full?’ She fooled them all. “How heavy is this glass of water?” she inquired with a smile. 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, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance. In each case it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

She continued,”and that’s the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.

As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden – holding stress longer and better each time practiced.

So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night. Pick them up again tomorrow if you must.

Read the rest if you want to. The best part was the story, above.

1. Accept the fact that some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue!
2. Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
3. Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
4. Drive carefully… It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.
5. If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
6. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
7. It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
8. Never buy a car you can’t push.
9. Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.
10. Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.
11. Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
12. The second mouse gets the cheese.
13. When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.
14. Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
15. Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.
16. We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
17. A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
18. Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today.
19. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY: Save the earth….. It’s the only planet with chocolate!