Story "The Weight of the Glass"

Once upon a time a psychology professor walked around on a stage while teaching stress management principles to an auditorium filled with students. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the typical “glass half empty or glass half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, the professor asked, “How heavy is this glass of water I’m holding?” Students shouted out answers ranging from eight ounces to a couple pounds. She replied, “From my perspective, the absolute weight of this glass doesn’t matter. It all depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute or two, it’s fairly light. If I hold it for an hour straight, its weight might make my arm ache a little. 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. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels to me.” As the class shook their heads in agreement, she continued, “Your stresses and worries in life are very much like this glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and you begin to ache a little. Think about them all day long, and you will feel completely numb and paralyzed – incapable of doing anything else until you drop them.” It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses and worries. No matter what happens during the day, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the night and into the next day with you. If you still feel the weight of yesterday’s stress, it’s a strong sign that it’s time to put the glass down.

The Weight of the Glass

Important steps

Synonyms&Sounds

Practise,practise, & practise!

Challenge 1 Try to retell the story using the following phrases.

• This story is about...
• The professor asked...
• The professor explained..
• The professor compared...
• The professor concluded that...
• In my opinion,...

Challenge 2 Use your own words to retell this story. Match parts of the original text with possible ways to paraphrase the same idea.

Challenge 3 Write a summary of the story using your own words

Some final tips

• While you practise, try to vary the way you retell the story to avoid sounding as if you've memorized it.

• Don't write down your summary; it might be useful to jot down the main events or key words to guide you.

• Remember to keep eye contact.

• Don't forget you're telling a story. Contextualize it and show the characters' emotions as you speak.