A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of
him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise
jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, 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 students laughed. The
professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else. "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 - 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, 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."
But then... A student then took the jar which the other students and the
professor agreed was full, and proceeded to pour in a glass of beer. Of
course the beer filled the remaining spaces within the jar making the jar
truly full. Which proves: NO matter how full your life is, there is always
room for a beer.
