An expert on time
management was speaking to a group of business students. To emphasize an important point, he used an
illustration that the students would never forget. Likely, you'll never forget it either.
As he 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
jar and set it on a table in front of him. Afterwards 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 in some gravel and shook the
jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between
the big rocks. Then he smiled and asked the group once more, “Is this jar
full?”
By this time the
class was onto him. “Probably not,” one of them answered. “Good!”
he replied. And he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of
sand. He started dumping the sand in until it filled 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 simple. If
you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at
all.” The title of this lecture is “The Big Rocks of Life.”
My friend, what are THE
big rocks in your life? A
project you want to finish? Time with your loved ones? Your faith,
your education, your finances? Some special cause? Teaching or
mentoring others? Remember to always PUT THE BIG ROCKS IN FIRST, or you’ll never get them in at all.
Sisters and
brothers, be continually blessed and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE
READY TO MEET YOUR SOON COMING KING.
Maranatha!
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