​THE JAR OF LIFE: WHAT’S FILLING YOURS?

By Eliana Barriga
Publisher and Managing Editor for The Retail Observer

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Eliana Barriga

Here’s a great tale of remembering what’s important in your life. It’s the story of a jar and life priorities...

A professor stood before his philosophy class and picked up a very large and empty jar, which he proceeded to fill with golf balls. He then asked his students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So next he picked up a box of small pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles filled the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor then poured a box of sand into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous, “Yes!” The professor then produced two cans of beer and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things – your family, your children, your health, your friends, your favorite passions – 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 golf balls. 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.”

One student raised her hand and asked what the beer represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that, no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of beers with a friend.” --author unknown

Is your jar of life filled with the things that are most important to you in life, or filled primarily with pebbles and small stuff? It’s time to fill your life with the important things that are critical to your happiness and success. Make sure you fill the jar with those things first. The rest can wait...

Cheers!
Eliana Barriga
eliana@retailobserver.com

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