A woman professor walked around in a classroom while she was teaching stress management to her students. As she  (1)   aglass of water, everyone    (2)  they would be asked the “half-empty or half-full” question.

  (3)  , with a smile on her face, she asked, “How  (4)  is this glass of water?”

Answers called out  (5)  from eight to twenty ounces(盎司).

She quieted the students down and then replied, “The absolute weight doesnˈt    (6)  . It all depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, itˈs not a  (7)  . If I hold it for an hour, I’II have an ache in my  (8)  . If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel  (9)  and paralyzed. In each case，the  (10)  of the glass of water doesnˈt change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes. Do you know why?"

All the students kept silent and listened carefully, lost in thought.

She continued, “Our  (11)  and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and  (12)  happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to  (13)  . And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed——  (14)  to do anything.”

It’s important to remember to  (15)  your stresses. As early in the evening as possible, put all your  (16)  down. Donˈt carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!

More often than not life gets terrible  (17)  we think too much. And the moment you remove your burden, you’ll find yourself feeling so much more  (18)  .

So rather than moping around(闲逛) and feeling sorry for yourself,  (19)  doing something about it. After all, life is too short to  (20)  yourself to anything thatˈs not making you happy.