R U REALLY busy--then read this


         The BIG ROCKS
  
 The busier you are, the more important it is to stop and read this story.
 
  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."  He then 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 by one, 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 this 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 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 the expert in time-management 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 this: 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?  Your children.  Your spouse.  Your loved ones.  Your 
friendships. 
 Your education.  Your dreams.  A worthy cause.  Teaching or mentoring 
others. 
 Doing things that you love.  Time for yourself.  Your health.  Remember to 
put 
 these BIG ROCKS in first, or you'll never get them in
  at all.  "If you sweat the little stuff (i.e. gravel, the sand) then you'll 
 fill your life with little things you will never have the real quality time 
 you need to spend on the big, important stuff (the big rocks).
 
  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.  Have a nice day.
  >>
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE HOSTA-OPEN
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index