The professor began his lesson by taking a glass with a small amount of water in his hand. He held it up so that everyone could see it and asked the students:
- How much do you think this glass weighs?
“50 grams, 100 grams, 125 grams,” answered the students.
“I really won’t know until I weigh it,” said the professor, “but my question is this: what would happen if I held it like this for a few minutes?”
“Nothing,” said the students.
- Okay, what would happen if I held it like this for an hour? - asked the professor.
“Your arm would start to hurt,” said one of the students.
“You’re right, but what would happen if I held it all day?”
“Your arm would go numb, you would have severe muscle breakdown and paralysis, and you would have to go to the hospital just in case.”
- Very good. But while we were discussing here, has the weight of the glass changed? - asked the professor.
- No.
- What makes your hand hurt and causes muscle disorder?
The students were puzzled.
- What do I need to do to fix all this? - the professor asked again.
“Put down the glass,” said one of the students.
- Exactly! - said the professor. “It’s always like that with life’s problems.” Just think about them for a few minutes and they will be with you. Think about them any longer and they start to itch. If you think any longer, they will paralyze you. There's nothing you can do.
It is important to think about problems in life, but it is even more important to be able to put them off: at the end of the working day, the next day. This way you don’t get tired, you wake up fresh and strong every day. And you can manage any problem, any kind of challenge that comes your way.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru