Today starts the beginning of the holiday season when we enjoy time with family, friends, and colleagues and reflect on how our year has progressed.  As the New Year approaches, many times, we make resolutions that often melt away before Valentine’s Day rolls around.  This year as you gather around tables of delicious food and share stories and memories that have been made this past year, take time to share the following story with your friends so that each and every one of them can set their priorities for the New Year to manage their time more wisely and treasure the important things in life.

A teacher once stood in front of his class with a mayonnaise jar, some rocks, and other items and began to place some of the 2 inch rocks into the jar. He didn’t say a word until the jar was completely filled with the rocks.  Then he asked the students if the jar was full to which they agreed that it was.  The teacher then picked up a box of smaller pebbles and poured them into the jar and shook it slightly.  The little pebbles rolled into all of the open areas between the rocks.  He asked again if the jar was full and again the students agreed that it was.  The teacher then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar and of course the sand filled all of the remaining spaces in the jar.

“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 and fix the disposal.

Take care of the rocks first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

This year take time to give a special hug to your parents no matter their age, spend some time playing with your children, and tell your best friend how important he really is in your life.  The holidays are a time of joy and celebration and if you take time to set your priorities and enjoy the really important things that happen each day you’ll be a truly happy and thankful person.