A New Year Reminder

A NEW YEAR REMINDER


My assistant Pat found the following story and thought it would be a great "New Year" reminder for all of us who are trying to grow and prosper in life. It is wonderful how such strong truths, when put into story form or with beautiful analogies as this professor did, can be remembered more easily by many of us than if we were to receive the same information in a more factual way. After reading this, take a moment and write down what the meaningful "rocks" are in your life (you'll understand what I'm asking when you get to the end of this story). I wish you joy, hope, peace and love.
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---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" 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, filled 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 family, your partner, your friends, 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.

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 20 things that are truly most important.

Pay attention to the things that are critical in your life. Play with your children. Take your partner out dancing. Spend quality time with your friends. 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 pebbles and sand.
— author unknown
If you believe this article can help someone you know, please pass it on.Search. Grow. Love.

Slow Down, Love, peace, Rev. David www.davidessel.com