Put It Down

A friend forwarded to me a brief story about a professor who began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it.  He held it up for all to see and asked his students to estimate the weight of the glass.  There were several responses from his students.  He then asked them what would happen if he held it up for a few minutes - nothing, was the response from his students.  Then he asked, what if I held it up like this for an hour?  The response from one of the students was - your arm would begin to ache.  The professor concurred and then asked - what if I held it up for an entire day?  The response was, your arm would go numb, you might have muscle stress, you might need medical attention, etc.  Then the professor asked his class if anything about the size and weight of the glass had changed and the answer was no.  So he then asked what was the source of the pain and what should I do to alleviate the distress?  The resounding answer was - put the glass down.

We all carry with us problems, worries and unresolved issues.  Depending on the length of time that we have carried them they too may become heavy and it may become difficult to bear the burden.  The ego mind tends to grasp onto a worrisome situation and like a dog with a bone or cherished toy refuse to relinquish it.  There  is the tendency for the small mind to get into a loop of thinking about the problem and carry on the process for far longer than is needed or even healthy.  The answer is to put it down - give the mind, body and emotions a break from the worry.  In reality some of the things that the ego mind latches onto may not be worth investing the energy of worry into in the first place.

Finding a way to refocus the ego mind instead of getting caught in a long, stressful process is a healthy part of accepting responsibility for our thinking.  Our life journey is brought about by our thinking - our thoughts ultimately create our reality.  So it becomes vitally important to have a conscious awareness of what your thoughts are about and if they are continually heavy and burdensome, to put them down and choose to relax your thoughts and move to a more positive mental state.

There truly are times that individuals encounter life circumstances that are very difficult and trying.  Even in these times it is important not to let our thinking drag down every aspect of life.  Even in the darkest of times there are still things to be grateful for and making these the focus of our mind will help us through these difficult times.  Even if the resolution of a situation may take a long time, it is still important to put it down for a time and refocus to find a place of peace and rest while working through to a desirable conclusion.  We don't have to carry our difficulties in the foremost of our thoughts each and every moment - we all need to consciously create a space and time for peace, joy and gratitude.

If you find your thoughts are continually cluttered with life problems, then give yourself a break and put them down.  Find a moment of stress free grace and from this place may come a new, fresh perspective - one that may show you that you can handle anything that may come your way.  From the quieter, more peaceful soul mind can come the guidance and strength to solve life's problems and live more joyfully moment to moment.

In peace.............Margie