Think about them all day long, and you will feel completely numb and paralyzed, incapable of doing anything else until you drop them.” Think about them a bit longer and you begin to feel noticeable pain. Think about them for a little while and nothing drastic happens. “Your worries, frustrations, disappointments, and stressful thoughts are very much like this glass of water. In each case, the absolute weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels to me.”Īs most of us students nodded our heads in agreement, she continued. If I hold it for a day straight, my arm will likely cramp up and feel completely numb and paralyzed, forcing me to drop the glass to the floor. If I hold it for an hour straight, its weight might make my arm ache. If I hold it for a minute or two, it’s fairly light.
Students shouted out answers ranging from a couple of ounces to a couple of pounds.Īfter a few moments of fielding answers and nodding her head, she replied, “From my perspective, the absolute weight of this glass is irrelevant. Instead, with a smile on her face, our professor asked, “How heavy is this glass of water I’m holding?” On the last day of class before graduation, she walked up on stage to teach one final lesson, which she called “a vital lesson on the power of perspective and mindset.” As she raised a glass of water over her head, everyone expected her to mention the typical “glass half empty or glass half full” metaphor. Twenty years ago, when Angel and I were just undergrads in college, our psychology professor taught us a lesson we’ve never forgotten. (Note: This first metaphor is an excerpt from our NY Times bestselling book.) See how doing so gracefully changes your thinking from day to day. Give yourself a little extra perspective every day this week. Then come back tomorrow and read the next one. My challenge for you today is to read the first metaphor below. The specifics differ slightly every time we share them, but the core lessons carry forth. Metaphors have a way of relating to us in the most profound way, by clarifying immense truths and intricate lessons in fairly minimal space.Īngel and I have shared the following metaphors and corresponding stories with our students, coaching clients, readers, and conference attendees dozens of times over the past decade, and we usually get thanked for doing so. It’s a necessary lens of perception that allows us to experience and think about ourselves and the world more clearly.
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