There's always room for beer

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him.

He picked up a large jar and began to fill it with rocks about five centimetres in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was.

The professor picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly, causing the pebbles to roll into the areas between the rocks. Again, he asked the students if the jar was full. Again, they agreed it was.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. The sand filled all the gaps.

“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognise that this is 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, 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 time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to a show. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house or give a dinner party. Take care of the rocks first — the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

At that point, a student took the jar and poured in a glass of beer. The beer filled the remaining spaces, making it truly full.

The moral: no matter how full your life is, there is always room for beer.