Your Priorities

A professor of philosophy came into his class. He brought some items with him and put them on the table. When the class began, he took a large transparent empty jar and started to fill it with rather massive stones. Then the professor asked his students: „Is the jar full?“. They confirmed that it was.

Now the professor picked up a box of small pebbles, poured them into the jar and shook it, so that pebbles filled the open areas between the rocks. He asked once again: „Is the jar full?“. They agreed that it was.

This time the professor poured a bucket of sand into the jar, and the sand filled up everything else.

„Now,“ said the professor, „I want you to see that this jar is just like your life – the stones are the most important things, your main values – your family, health, morality.

The pebbles are other things that matter – your job, house, car. The sand represents the small stuff.

So if you put the sand into the jar first, there would be no place left for pebbles and large stones. Therefore pay most of your attention to the things, that are the most important in life – spent enough time with your family, take care of your health and don‘t forget to develop spiritually – be kind, honest, sensitive, helpful. These are the things that really matter. They should be your priorities. The rest is just sand.