Look After Your Rocks

Most of you have probably read this story B4 but for the sake of others i’ll post it here:

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had 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 right to the top, rocks about 2″ 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 in to the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks.The students laughed. He asked his students again if the jar was full ? They agreed that 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.

“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this is your life.

The rocks are the important things – your faith, your beliefs, your family, your partner, your health, your children – anything that is so important to you that if it were lost,you would be nearly destroyed.

The pebbles are the other things in life that matter,but on a smaller scale.The pebbles represent things like your job,your house,your car etc.

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. Spend quality time with your spouse. There willalways be time to go to work, clean the house, fix the car etc.

Take care of the rocks first, the rest is just pebbles and sand!!!

3 Comments

  • Nice story, but the way I heard it, there was a different ending : At the end, after the class has agreed that the jar is absolutely full, the prof pours in a cup of tea and the liquid fills up all the tiny gaps remaining. The moral of the story? No matter how busy your day, there is always time for tea!

  • Oops, that should be “room for tea”, kinda spoilt the effect there. Darn.

  • shaf

    mA…..lol to BFTF comment alwys room for tea

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