A philosophy professor stood
before his class and had some items in front of him. When class began, wordlessly
he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks about
2" in diameter.
He then asked the students if
the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.
He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas
between the rocks.
He then asked the students
again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor picked up a box
of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up every empty space.
"Now," said the
professor, "I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are
the important things - your family, your partner, your health, your children -
anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly
destroyed.”
"The pebbles are the
other things that matter like your job, your house, your car.
"The sand is everything
else. The small stuff.”
"If you put the sand
into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same
goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff,
you will never have
room for the things that are important to you.”
"Pay attention to the
things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time
to get medical checkups. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be
time to go to work, clean
the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal.”
"Take care of the rocks
first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just
sand."
