A Philosophy professor stood before his
class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly he picked
up a very large and empty glass 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 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 an 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"