The important things in life

Author Unknown

A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items on the table in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and
proceeded to fill it with rocks, about 2 inches in diameter.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the
jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up
the remaining open areas of the jar.
He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous Yes.
Now, said the professor, I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The
rocks are the important things your family, your partner, your health, your children things
that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The
pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is
everything else, the small stuff.
If you put the sand into the jar first, he continued, there is no room for the pebbles or the
rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,
you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things
that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take your partner out dancing.
There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party, or fix the
disposal.
Take care of the rocks first the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just
sand.
Vocabulary
1. philosophy, n., the study of the nature and meaning of the universe and of human life; a
set of beliefs or an attitude to life that guides somebody's behavior
- Emma studies philosophy at university.
- The company explained their management philosophy.
- The idea that you should treat others as you would like them to treat you is a fine
philosophy of life.
2. wordless, adj., without any words
- We sat in wordless contemplation of the view.
- She threw her arms around him in wordless grief.

3.

mayonnaise, n., a thick cold white sauce made from eggs, oil and vinegar, used to add
flavor to sandwiches, salads, etc. (also informal mayo)
- egg mayonnaise (= a dish made with hard-boiled eggs and mayonnaise)

4.

proceed to do something, phrasal v., to do something after you have done something else
- She sat down and proceeded to tell me about her skiing holiday.
- He told me he was on a diet and then proceeded to eat a plateful of chips!
proceed, v., to continue as planned
- Work is proceeding slowly.
- His lawyers have decided not to proceed with the case.

5. diameter, n., a straight line going from one side of a circle or any other round object to the
other side, passing through the centre
- The pond is six feet in diameter.
6.

pebble, n., a smooth, round stone that is found in or near water

- The beach was covered with smooth white pebbles.
- There are pebbles in my shoe.

7. unanimous, adj., if a decision or an opinion is unanimous, it is agreed or shared by

everyone in a group
- Unanimous agreement must be reached for this plan to go ahead.
- The jury reached a unanimous verdict of not guilty.
- The new format has unanimous support.
8. recognize, v., to admit or to be aware that something exists or is true
- Nobody recognized how urgent the situation was.
- The international community has refused to recognize (= officially accept the existence
of) the newly independent nation state.
9. disposal, n., the act of getting rid of something, especially by throwing it away
- waste/garbage disposal
- the disposal of nuclear waste
- sewage disposal systems
10. priority, n., something that you think is more important than other things and should be
dealt with first
- Financial security was high on his list of priorities.
- The customer is high on our list of priorities.
- The children are our first priority.
- My first/top priority is to find somewhere to live.
- You need to get your priorities right/straight (= decide what is important to you).