Is the Jar Full?

A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items in front of him. When class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks about two inches in diameter. Then he 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 of rocks. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the spaces between the rocks. The students laughed. He asked his students again if the jar was full. They said yes, it was.

The professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He looked at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?" One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!"

"No, that's not it," 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 - anything that is so important to you that if it were to be lost, you would be nearly destroyed. The pebbles are the other things in life that matter, but on a smaller scale. They are things like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else. The small stuff.

"If you put the sand or the pebbles into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, material things, you will never have room for the things that are truly most important.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical in your life. Play with your children. 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 pebbles and sand."

--Author Unknown