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"

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 in

to the jar.

He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled 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 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, house, or 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 things that are

truly most important."

***** Pay attention to the things that are critical in your

life.******

Play with your children.

Take time to get medical checkups.

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.

Remember that "For things to change, I must change" "The

greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter

their lives by altering their attitude of mind."

–William James, Psychologist