TEDx2018: Everyone’s glass is different and changing, student says

Taking a refreshing approach to the question “Is a glass half-empty or half-full?” TEDxBinghamtonUniversity student speaker Stone Geise asked audience members to rethink their own glass.

“Haven’t we all heard this before?” asked Geise, a senior majoring in biochemistry who spoke at the March 25 conference in the Osterhout Concert Theater.

Answering with a resolved yes, Geise told audience members to close their eyes as he prompted them with new questions: What does your glass look like? Tall or short? Wide or narrow? Glass, paper or some other material? Clear or colored liquid?

“The taller or wider your glass is, the better your ability to take on more responsibilities,” he said.

But according to Geise, our daily tasks and commitments weigh us down and hinder our ability to appreciate the positive things in life.

“We can only focus on so much until we get overwhelmed,” he said.

As a result, we may crack under the pressure, similar to glass.

But Geise, who is also a resident assistant in College-in-the-Woods, provided a new way to consider this philosophical and personal question.

“Everyone’s glass is different,” he said. “This difference is what makes the world an exciting place.”

He said to consider the fact that our glasses are always changing, but instead of letting the ups and mostly the downs take up too much space, Geise suggested a more thoughtful approach.

“Ensure that you stay hydrated by drinking eight cups of water every day!” he said as the audience laughed along.

Besides hydration, Geise said, the important thing is to make room for new people, adventures and memories in your life.

“Clear your glass of the things you don’t need anymore,” he said. “Consume and create space for opportunity.”

This means ridding yourself of negative energy and thoughts.

“The energy put into grudges and remembering the bad,” he said, “will only take away from all the beautiful, wonderful things going on around you all the time.”

But don’t confuse this with pretending that obstacles and rough times don’t happen.

“Drink from your glass in order to make the bad a part of you,” he said.

According to Geise, taking the bad aspects into your metaphorical glass helps you to grow as an individual and learn from your experiences.

“Don’t pour and forget,” he said.

Whether you see the situation as half-empty or half-full, Geise said he wanted the audience to leave feeling empowered to approach the labels of optimism and pessimism in a healthier manner - rather than as a way of being identified.