Important Things in Life: Rocks, Pebbles, Sand.

by BeautifulGarbage 10 Replies latest jw friends

  • BeautifulGarbage
    BeautifulGarbage

    Someone sent this to me and I though I would share it with the DB.

    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 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 werelost, 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 sandis everything else, the small stuff."

    "If you put the sand or the pebbles into the jar first, there is no roomfor the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energyand time on the small stuff, material things, you will never have room forthe 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.
    ~ Take your partner out dancing.
    ~ 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.

    Andee

  • DakotaRed
    DakotaRed

    In the copy I received of that, long ago, it ended with another student coming forward and pouring a can of beer into the jar. Of course, the beer filled all the leftover spaces.

    With that, it just proves there's always room for beer.

    Sorry, Andee, don't want to spoil your excellent thought, but I couldn't resist.

    If God's Spirit is filling a Kingdom Hall, how is it that Satan can manuever the ones within that Kingdom Hall at the same time?

  • Reborn2002
    Reborn2002

    An absolutely beautiful analogy to convey the message of what is
    truly important in life.

    Notice religion is NOT mentioned?

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  • BeautifulGarbage
    BeautifulGarbage

    Dakota: You stinker! That is something my hubby would say!

    Reborn: I noticed

    Andee

  • Beck_Melbourne
    Beck_Melbourne

    Awesome illustration Andee...I haven't heard that one before but I'm going to print it off and take it home. Thanks for that.

    This is something similar...you've probably read this before...but I'll share it anyway:

    IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER

    I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

    I would have eaten the popcorn in the "GOOD" living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

    I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

    I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

    I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

    I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

    I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

    I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

    I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

    Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment realizing that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

    When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."

    There would have been more "I love you's" .....but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute.....look at it and really see it ... live it ... and never give it back.

    Beck

  • SixofNine
    SixofNine

    Weird. The person who sent this to you obviously replaced the theocratic theme with worldly items. You didn't recieve this from a worldly (titter, gasp*) person, did you?

    As I heard it, we should be putting first field service, meetings, and congregational responsibilities.

    *I can never determine where it appropriate to titter, and when to gasp? Going on instinct and life experience, I usually titter for long while, and then gasp, but that is just me.

  • patio34
    patio34

    Hey Six,
    I don't think it was lifted from JWs, but that JWs lifted it. I had heard it in a health class a few years ago.

    Thanks for that BG and also the one Beck posted. They both are good food for thought.


    All intelligent people are confrontational.--HBO's Winston Churchill

  • Angharad
    Angharad

    Six

    I heard it used like that as a public talk demonstration once

  • simplesally
    simplesally

    I have heard it many many times, even at the Convention....and yes, the meetings, fs, study and prayer were the big things, then pebbles were put in, then sand and then water!

    And it showed how you could fit all this stuff in your life if you put the right things in it first.

    I am tired enough and actually less frustrated now than ever. I used to feel dread on BS and big meeting night. I used to wish to have a weekend off like the rest of the human race. I used to feel guilty if I stayed home on Saturdays.

  • patio34
    patio34

    SimpleSally said:

    And it showed how you could fit all this stuff in your life if you put the right things in it first.

    Actually it refers to one putting things that were important TO THEM, not what someone else told you was important. They didn't even use it right....


    All intelligent people are confrontational.--HBO's Winston Churchill

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