The JAR—Empty of
Full?
A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some
items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly 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 recognize
that this is 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, 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 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.
" 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 soaked into the sand
and filled the remaining spaces within the jar making the jar truly
full. Which proves: that no matter how full your life is, there is
always room for a beer.
