Key Takeaways
- We fill our lives with a mixture of things that range in their levels of importance.
- If we spend too much time on the unimportant things, we won’t have time for what really matters.
- Make sure you’re prioritizing what’s truly important in your life.
You may have heard this story, but it’s worth repeating because it’s a good reminder for our daily lives.
There was a college professor who came to class and set down a glass jar, then filled it with golf balls. He asked his class if the jar was full and they answered that it was. He then pulled out a bag of pebbles and poured them into the jar. Once again, he asked if the jar was full and the students answered that it was. Then the professor poured some sand into the jar, filled it to the top, and asked yet again if the jar was full. The class responded that it was definitely full this time. Finally, the professor took out two beers and poured them into the jar, truly filling it.
What’s the moral of this story? Well, the golf balls represent what’s really important to us in life: our family, our friends, the things we stand for. The pebbles are other things, such as our homes, our jobs, our cars, and so forth. The sand represents all the little stuff – things that aren’t truly important, but take up our time.
The point is, if you start with the sand, you’ll be so busy with the little stuff that you won’t have room in your life for the important things. You’ll miss out on spending quality time with your family, enjoying conversations with friends, and being there for loved ones when they need you. These are the things that make a difference when we’re on our deathbeds, and nothing else.
Of course, one of the students asked, “Hey, Professor, why the beer?” He responded “Look, no matter how full your life is, there’s always room for a couple of beers.” Until next time, enjoy.
