A philosophy professor stood before his class with
some items on the table in front of him. When the class
began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
and proceeded to fill it with rocks, about 2" in diameter.
He then asked his students if the jar was full. They
all 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. Again, they agreed it was.
The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it
into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up
everything else.
He then asked once more if the jar was full. The
students responded with a unanimous "Yes."
The professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and
proceeded to pour their entire contents into the jar - effectively
filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
"I want you to recognize that this jar represents
your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your
partner, your health, your children - things that if everything else
was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. 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," he continued
"there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your
life. If you spend all your time and energy 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.
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer
represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked.It just goes to
show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room
for a couple of beers."
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