Thanksgiving Inspirational
Story
A Full Jar
One day an expert in time management was speaking to a group
of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration
those students will never forget. As he stood in front of
the group of high-powered overachievers he said, Okay, time
for a quiz.
Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide mouth
mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. Then
he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully
placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was
filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he
asked, Is this jar full? Everyone in the class said, Yes.
Then he said, “Really?” He reached under the
table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped
some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel
to work themselves down into the space between the big rocks.
Then he asked the group once more, Is the jar full? By this
time the class was on to him. Probably not, one of them
answered.
Good he replied. He reached under the table and brought
out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the
jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the
rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, Is
this jar full? No the class shouted.
Once again he said, Good. Then he grabbed a pitcher of
water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to
the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, What is
the point of this illustration? One eager beaver raised
his hand and said, The point is, no matter how full your
schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some
more things in it. No, the speaker replied, that’s
not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is:
If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll
never get them in at all.
What are the big rocks in your life? Time with your loved
ones? faith, education, your dreams? A worthy cause? Teaching
or mentoring others? Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in
first or you’ll never get them in at all.
So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting
on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are
the big rocks in my life?
Then, put those in your jar first.
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