Big Rocks

One day, an expert in the time was in conversation with a group of students and to a point to drive home, a figure which the students will never forget. As he stood before the group of overachievers, he said: "OK, time for a quiz." He pulled out a gallon, wide-mouth jar and set it on the table before him. He produced a dozen fist-large rocks and carefully placed, one at a time into the jar. If the glass was filled up and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked: "Is the jar full?" Everyone in the class yelled, "Yes." The time expert replied: "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel and shook the jar, making parts of gravel to work themselves into the spaces between the big rocks. He then asked the group again, "Is the jar full?" At this time the class was on him. "Probably not," said one of them answered. "Good!" He replied. He reached under the table and brought a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand into the jar and it went into all the spaces between the rocks and gravel. Once more he asked the question "Is the jar full?" "No!" the class cried. Once again, he said, "Good." Then he grabbed a jug of water and began to pour until the glass was filled to the brim. Then he looked into the class and asked: "What is the purpose of this presentation?" An eager student raised his hand and said: "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always be more things in it!" "No," replied the spokesman, "that's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us, if you're not the big rocks in first, you'll never get it at all. What are the" big rocks "in your life ? time with your loved ones, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others? Remember those big rocks in first or you'll never in all. "