Rocks
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, 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
area 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 anything that is so important
to you that if it were lost, you would be devastated.
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 check-ups. 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
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