什么才是生命中真正重要的？
課前，一位哲學教授站在講臺上，他面前的桌子上放了幾樣東西。上課后，教授什么也沒說，他拿起一個又大又空的蛋黃醬罐子，然后往里面放入大概2英寸直徑的小石塊。
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
然后，他問學生這個罐子是否已經滿了?學生們都回答說是。
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.
然后教授就拿起一瓶小鵝卵石，然后把石頭倒進罐子里，他輕輕地搖了搖罐子。這樣小鵝卵石就進到石塊的間隙中去。
He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
然后，他又問學生這個罐子是否已經滿了?學生們都回答說是。
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.
然后教授就拿起一瓶沙子，然后把沙子倒進罐子里，沙子又填充進了間隙中。
He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “Yes.”
然后，他又問學生們，這個罐子是否已經滿了?學生們一致同意說：“已經滿了。”
“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.”
教授說：“現在，我希望你們把人生看作是這個罐子，石頭就是那些重要的事情--你們的家庭，愛人，健康，孩子，吐過把除了這些之外的其他東西都丟掉，你們的人生其實還是充實的。鵝卵石就是那些對你們不是最重要但也要緊的東西，比如你的工作、房子、車。而沙子就是那些其他的無關緊要的小事情。”
“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.”
教授繼續說：“如果你先把沙子放進這個罐子，那罐子里就沒有地方放小鵝卵石和石塊了，你們的人生也是這樣。如果你將所有的時間和精力都放在那些小事情上，你就不會有精力關注那些真正對你重要的東西。將精力放在那些真正和你的幸福息息相關的事情上。和你的孩子一起玩耍。帶你的愛人出去跳舞。而工作，打掃屋子，舉辦場宴會，修理東西，這些事情總是會有時間的。”
“Take care of the rocks first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”
“首先考慮巖石，即那些真正重要的事情。設置好你的優先事項。剩下的只是沙子。
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