Erin's Journals

Monday, April 19, 2021

Just a thought… People who wonder if the glass is half full or half empty miss the point. It is refillable. [Author Unknown]

You can watch a video version of this journal on my Facebook page, or here on YouTube.

I’m sharing your feelings of frustration and sadness if you’re reading this in Ontario, where all it takes is a lot of anger to get playgrounds reopened, and yet Queen’s Park won’t reconsider on paid sick leave or reinstating the hero pay from early in the pandemic )(when essential workers are no less heroic now than they were then). None of it makes sense, except that it points out that loud enough voices from the right people seem to be heard. Something to think about.

And here’s something else. I want to thank Kathy Burns for always sending uplifting, inspiring and funny messages to me. This one came from her and I’m going to share it with you today because I think we all need this, okay? Here we go.

A young lady confidently walked around the room with a raised glass of water while leading a seminar and explaining stress management to her audience.

Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, ‘Half empty or half full?’ She fooled them all.

“How heavy is this glass of water?” she inquired with a smile.

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance. In each case it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” 

She continued, “And that’s the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.”

“As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden – holding stress longer and better each time practiced. So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night. Pick them up again tomorrow if you must.”

Now some tips for you on this day and heading into this week. Here we go:

1 * Accept the fact that some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue!

2 * Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

3 * Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

4 * Drive carefully. It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.

5 * If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

6 * If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

7 * It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

8 * Never buy a car you can’t push.

9 * Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.

10 * Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.

11 * Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

12 * The second mouse gets the cheese.

13 * When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.

14 * Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

15 * Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.

16 * We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colours, but they all have to live in the same box.

17 * A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

18 * Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY

19 *Save the earth. It’s the only planet with chocolate!*

You know, 19 is a strange place to end a list, so feel free to add to it at my Facebook page and thank you. Again, I’ll add with a sigh: room in the glass doesn’t mean it’s okay to fill it with vodka (my own take) and finally, we can do this. Stay safe and stay sane. And remember, your voice can be heard. If you can move playgrounds (to reopen) you can move mountains.

Rob WhiteheadMonday, April 19, 2021