. “Are You a Glass or a Lake? This Story Has the Answer

A young man was deeply troubled by the burdens of his life.

One day, he happened to meet a dervish (wise man) and poured his heart out to him.

He said, "I’m overwhelmed. These sorrows and troubles are beyond what I can bear. Sometimes it feels like only death can free me from this pain."

The dervish listened patiently and said,

"Go and bring me some salt."

The young man was confused—what did salt have to do with his suffering?—but he obeyed and brought it anyway.

The dervish then said,

"Put a handful of salt in a glass of water and drink it."

The young man did as he was told.

The dervish asked, "How does it taste?"

The young man spat it out and replied, "Awful! It’s too salty!"

The dervish smiled and said,

"Now, take another handful of salt and follow me to that lake over there."

They walked to a serene, clear lake. The dervish said,

"Now pour the same handful of salt into the lake and drink its water."

The young man drank from the lake.

"How does it taste now? Is it still salty?" the dervish asked.

"No," the young man replied. "It tastes fresh and pure—wonderful, actually."

The dervish sat beside him, took his hand gently, and said:

"Our sorrows are like this salt. The amount was the same, but one glass made the water bitter, while the lake remained unaffected."

"In the same way, pain feels different depending on the size of our inner world. When sorrow comes, don't remain a small glass—become a lake