THE PROFESSOR

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.”

“Now,” said the professor, “I want u to recognize that this jar represents ur life. The rocks are the important things – ur family, ur partner, ur health, ur children – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, ur life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter – like ur job, ur house, ur car.

The sand is everything else. The small stuff.”

“If u put the sand into the jar first,” he continued “there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for ur life.

If you spend all ur time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to u. Pay attention to the things that are critical to ur happiness. Play with your children. Take ur 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. - Pream Anand Tharmalingam