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 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 everything else.
He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “Yes.”
He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “Yes.”
“Now,” said the professor, “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 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.”
As a college student, it can be very difficult to balance everything in my life especially during the last few weeks of the semester. Semester-long projects and papers that I have put off are approaching their due dates and I find myself overwhelmed. While schoolwork is important, friends and family are too. To become so involved in your grades and papers that you forget the other things in life isn't good. It's all about doing things in steps (a little bit at a time) so you don't become stressed when everything piles up. That way, you'll have time to do things you enjoy and see the people you care about. This is very tricky, and I am still trying to find that perfect balance myself! :)
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved this post! I have never heard that story before, but I think that it is one that everyone needs to hear. People, myself included, get so caught up in things that seem so huge and important at the time, when really it's not worth the stress. It is so easy to let the small things in life consume you and cloud your vision of the important things. Everyone needs a reminder every now and then to relax and breathe and just be grateful for what really matters in life.
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