Once, a professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see and asked the students, “How much do you think this glass weighs?”

 “1 pound!”…. one of the student shouted.

“I really don’t know unless I weigh it,” said the professor, “but, my question is: What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?” Professor holding it on his palm, stretched out.

“Nothing’” the students said.

“OK what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?” the professor asked.

“Your arm would begin to ache,”said one of the students answered

“You’re right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?’

‘Your arm could go numb, you might have severe muscle stress possibly leading to Paralysis and I would have to go to hospital for sure,” professor stated.

“Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?” Asked the professor.

“No,” replied the students.’

“Then what caused the arm ache; the muscle stress?”

The students were puzzled.

“Instead, what should I do to avoid muscle stress?”

“Put the glass down, ” said one of the students. 

“Exactly!” said the professor.

‘You see , life’s problems are something like this. Hold them for a few minutes in your head; they seem OK. Think of them for a long time; they begin to ache. Hold them even longer; they begin to paralyze you to an extent you will not be able to do anything,” Professor said smilingly.

Worrying can get the better of almost anybody. Work stresses, personal concerns, and sometimes even irrational thoughts can seep into your mind and interfere with your ability to concentrate on ordinary tasks. Unfortunately, stopping those worries isn’t easy–there’s no “off switch” that can shut your worried thoughts down. However, there are a handful of habits that, once integrated into your life, can force your worries to leave and free up your mind to focus on more positive, productive things.

Putting away your Worries

To a certain extent, worries are related to how you feel about yourself. A recent study showed that when you feel better about yourself emotionally and physically, you worry less. Here are three tips to help you lessen your worries through positive thoughts:

1. Find some good news.

Switch off the bad news and turn on the good news—not just on the TV, but also in your head. You have to make a point of it. Set aside time in the morning to affirm the positive in your life.

When you find yourself worrying, learn to immediately think of one thing you appreciate. Then, given that your mind is prone to wandering, do something that holds your attention. Watch a great movie, play an online game, have a conversation with a loved one—these are all great ways to ground your worrisome, overactive mind.

2. Be what you can be.

Overcome your intolerance of uncertainty by accepting the things you cannot control. Make a list of them, and when you think of them, drop them. Then, given that self-efficacy can help quell worry, why not begin building yourself up—both physically and emotionally? Practice being what you want to be, rather than waiting for yourself to magically become it.

I’m not suggesting that you should become the Dalai Lama or Hulk Hogan; I’m suggesting that you should invest in yourself. Hire a trainer who can guide you to better physical health, or find someone who will hold you accountable. Also, invest in building your self-efficacy by forgiving yourself for past mistakes and setting up small wins for your future.

3. Speak to God through thoughts and feelings

When God is speaking to you, it’s not likely that he will come stand in front of you in the flesh. No, but he will help you “hear” him through thoughts and feelings. Religious leader, Craig Christensen said, “if any of us lack wisdom, we can ask God in faith and receive answers…by the power of the Holy Ghost, who speaks to us through inspired thoughts and feelings.” When we are earnestly seeking answers in faith, God will answer us in a quiet way that we can recognize.

But, how do you know if it’s your inner voice, or inspiration from God?

My friends, it is important to think of the challenges in your life, but EVEN MORE IMPORTANT to ‘put them down’ at the end of every day before you go to sleep. That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh, strong, can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your way!

Remember friends- PUT THE GLASS DOWN TODAY!