A friend forwarded this to me and though I’m sure many of
you must have already come across it, it’s such a great lesson that it would be
a shame not share it………
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 jar and proceeded to fill
it with rocks, about 2 inches 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 the remaining
open areas of the jar.
He then asked once more if the
jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “Yes.”
The professor then produced two cups
of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar
effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
“Now,” said the professor after
the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognise that this jar represents your
life. The rocks are the important things – your family, your partner, your
health, your children, your friends, your favourite passions – 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 your partner out
dancing. Spend time with your parents, grandparents. Take time to get medical
checkups. There will always be time to clean the house, mow the lawn, or fix
the tap.”
“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 coffee represented. The professor smiled and said,
‘I’m glad you asked. The coffee just shows you that no matter how full your
life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a
friend.’
A great, great lesson, isn’t it? Life is busy and there are
a million things out there pulling us in a million different directions, always
demanding our time and attention. It's easy to forget the really important
things.
I hope this reminds you as it did for me not to let the
small stuff take over your life. Take care of the rocks first….the things that
really matter. Remember, the rest is just sand.