A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items in
front of him.
When the class began, he picked up a large empty jar
and proceeded to fill it with rocks that were 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 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.
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 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."
But then a student 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: no matter how full your life is, there is always room for beer!
