The Big Rocks

         A while back, I was reading about an expert on the subject
         of time management. One day this expert was speaking to a
         group of business students and, to drive home a point,
         used an illustration those students will never forget.

         As this man 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-mouthed
         mason jar and set it on a 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 spaces between the big rocks.

         Then he asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?"

         By this time the class was onto 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 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 he looked up 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 into 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?
         A project that YOU want to accomplish?
         Time with your loved ones?
         Your faith, your education, your finances?
         A 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?