每天开车上班的路上，我喜欢听一个叫做 “The Breeze” 的电台。有一天听到了这样一则似曾相识的故事：哲学教授上课时拿了一个空的马乃司瓶子，先放进两英寸大的石头；装满后，他又拿了一盒鹅卵石，一边摇晃瓶子，一边将鹅卵石也倒了进去。鹅卵石于是填充了石头间的空隙。最后，老师将一盒细沙倒入了瓶子，终于所有的缝隙全被填满。。。Ok，我想，我知道你接下来要说只要我们努力，就可以做的更好。。。就在我正要转去听另一个音乐台时，却听到一个与我以前所知道的完全不同的解释：

教授说，这瓶子就是你的一生。里边的石头是你一生中最重要事情：家人，伴侣，孩子和健康，即使没有鹅卵石与沙子，你的人生依然是完满的；鹅卵石则是稍次要的事情，比如你的工作，房子，车子等等；而沙子就是剩下的所有小事情。如果这瓶子里先装满鹅卵石和沙子，就没有地方放石头了。同样，如果每天只忙于小事情，你就忽视了那些你生命里最重要的东西。。。

这个故事给了我很大的启发。此后，每当我为一些人或事不开心的时候，就会看看我瓶子里的石头是否还都安在，如果那不是我的某块石头，我就不去计较那些鹅卵石或沙子。

同时，在自己感到被别人忽视的时候，我也会意识到，我只不过是其他人生命中的一粒沙。知道了自己的位置, 也就不会奢求被所有的人关心和重视了。

 我的人生因了这个故事而变得快乐而安逸。好多困扰我的烦恼都迎刃而解。生活本来可以如此简单，只要守护好那几块属于自己的石头，其他的不过是鹅卵石和沙子而已。。。

ROCKS, PEBBLES AND SAND

A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items in front of him. When class began, he wordlessly picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks about two inches in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles, poured them into the jar and lightly shook it. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The students laughed. He asked his students again if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things—your family, your partner, your health, your children—anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed. The pebbles are the other things in life that matter, but on a smaller scale. The pebbles represent things like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else—the small stuff.

“If you put the sand or the pebbles into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, material things, you will never have room for the things that are truly most important. Pay attention to the things that are critical in your life. 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.”

Wise words. In your own life, be sure to take care of the rocks first—the things that really matter. Remember, the rest is only pebbles and sand.