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 right to the top, rocks about 2" 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 in to the jar.
He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas
between the rocks.
The students laughed. He asked his students again if the jar was full? They
agreed that yes, it was. The professor then 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 - anything that is so important to you that if it
were lost, you would be nearly destroyed. The pebbles are the other things in
life that matter, but on a smaller scale. The pebbles represent things like
your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else. The small stuff.
If you put the sand or the pebbles into the jar first, there is no room for
the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time
on the small stuff, material things, you will never have room for the things
that are truly most important. Pay attention to the things that are critical
in your life. Play with your children. 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 pebbles and sand.