Life's
little lessons and good advice
Philosophy. 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
mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with 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 a bottle of red wine from under the table and proceeded
to pour the 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 wine 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 good bottle of
wine! -- Raymond Watson
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“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.” — Robert Louis Stevenson
