Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 202 – The Water Glass

[Mahler]

Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 202 – The Water Glass

The Water Glass (02-18-08)

I would imagine that most of you have heard the old chestnut about the water glass. Let me refresh your memory, in case you don’t recall. You take a glass and you pour water into it so that it is exactly half way. Now, you show that glass to some folks and ask them what they see.

According to the psychoanalysts, psychologists or what ever “ists” you consult, the optimist will likely say that the glass is half full and the pessimist will undoubtedly confirm that the glass is half empty. Why these two answers, you might ask?

The optimist, we are told sees the positive side of things. There is something there in the glass, even though it is not full. The optimist sees the value of what is and does not concern himself with what is not. The pessimist, the experts will tell us, sees that something is missing and dwells on what is not there, rather than what is. He tends to concentrate on the negative.

I would like to take this a little farther. I wonder if the optimist also sees that there is potential in that glass; that there is room for more; that there is space for something additional? I wonder if the optimist understands that that glass, with a little effort, could be full?

I also muse about that pessimist. Does he only see loss; the lack of something? Does he understand, too, that with a little effort the situation can be changed and the water could reach the brim of that glass?

Too often in life and in our fitness journeys, we become the eternal optimist or pessimist. We get wrapped up in our thoughts, our efforts and direct our goals towards what is already there or what we think is missing. We can become single-minded in a pursuit of addressing why that glass is half full or half empty. By doing so, we can forget the most important thing of all. The glass doesn’t have to be half of anything. We can pursue the possibilities of what “could” be there.

I look at the glass sitting there on the table and frankly I am wondering. What do I see there? Am I the optimist or the pessimist? Perhaps I am neither, and yet, at the same time am I little bit of both. Is the glass half full or is the glass half empty. You know? I think I am a realist. I’m thirsty. I drink from the glass and move on. There’s work to be done.



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Have a Great Week!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

[GG300]

I just want a smaller glass.

Thanks John

[Phaedrus49er]

I say it's time for a beer run, even though this beer tastes strangely like water

Thanks as always, John.

[liftintexas]

excellent reminder on perspective, John. Thanks.

[kjr]

As always a great read (I liked last week's too.) I agree, it is never as cut and dry as people like to simplify it down to be. Me? I'm a potential guy. I like to see what could be there and all to often overlook what is there. If it were not for people trying to make the world a better place, where would we be?

[Iamjennmedic]

Great motivator John. I love the silent reflections that always come to after reading your MMMM's. Thanks John.

[RobLL]

nice one

[LisaS]

being contrarian I always thought the experts had it backwards - if I see it half-empty iI also see room for more, room to expand, room for me to add to it. If I see it half-full I see a job almost completed, little challenge left, whoever started it can likely finish it without me.

even in a glass and a simple 2 pronged choice - 1/2 full or 1/2 empty the interpretations are not static - or they are accepted only because that's the explanation from the experts - not my explanation nor my interpretation.

[Kevin T.]

The damn glass is just twice the size it needs to be.

[Mahler]

Originally Posted by Kevin T.

The damn glass is just twice the size it needs to be.

Or are we half as much as we could be.

The point, I guess, is this:
Don't worry about whether the glass is half full or half empty. Just drink the water.

[Jean-Paul]

My glass is spilling over!

[RacerBill]

Nice.

One of my goals is to be more positive and less negative. Thanks for some great ideas to think about as I keep pursuing the goal.

[Phaedrus49er]

Originally Posted by RacerBill

Nice.

One of my goals is to be more positive and less negative. Thanks for some great ideas to think about as I keep pursuing the goal.

I'm not dead yet. That's pretty positive

[MindPower]

thanks John, time for another drink

[Mahler]

Originally Posted by Jean-Paul

My glass is spilling over!

Does it have a Peej in it?

[ToniL]

I always remember my grandfather when talking about half full glasses of water . . .
He came to live with us when I was in my early teens . . he had parkinson's disease and was 'all shakey and everything'. He used to ask us to fill his glass up full even when he had only drunk half of it. At first I rolled my eyes thinking he was being 'old or something' but then realized he really needed the glass to be full in order to get the water in. No moral to the story, just a story.

Toni

[kingkop182]

Often, I see people in the gym complain that a particular machine/ Free weight is being used by another member. Pehaps the implied message in this weeks MMMM was not to dwell on it too much.... 'the seated row station is being used; just use a barbell row instead.

That's what I took from it anyway.