A philosophy professor stood before his class and
had some items in front of him.
When the class began, silently he picked up a large
empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, 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 students laughed.
The professor picked up a box of sand and poured
it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
"Now," said the professor," I want
you to recognise that this is your life.
The rocks are the important things - your family,
your partner, your health, and 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, and 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 then 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: That no matter how full
your life is, there is always room for BEER
