A philosophy professor stood before his class with
some items on the table in front of him. When the
class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and
empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with
rocks, about 2" in diameter.
He then asked his students if the jar was full. They
all 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.
Again, 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."