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 he 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 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 car. 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 - no matter how full your life is, there is
always room for BEER!
