04/08/2025
The Empty Jar
One evening, a professor stood before his class with an empty glass jar. Without a word, he filled it with large rocks.
He asked, “Is the jar full?”
The students said, “Yes.”
Then he poured small pebbles into the jar. They settled into the spaces between the rocks.
“Now is it full?” he asked.
They nodded, “Yes.”
Next, he poured sand. It filled the gaps.
“Full now?”
“Absolutely.”
Finally, he poured water in.
Then he said,
“This jar is your life.
The rocks are the things that truly matter—family, health, purpose.
The pebbles are things that matter, but not most—job, house, hobbies.
The sand and water? Everything else.”
He paused.
“If you fill the jar with sand first, there’s no room for the rocks.
So protect the rocks in your life. Always.”
