Joe_W
Silver Member
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.
The moral of this tale is: That no matter how full your life is, there
is always room for BEER.
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.
The moral of this tale is: That no matter how full your life is, there
is always room for BEER.
