每天開車上班的路上，我喜歡聽一個叫做 “The Breeze” 的電台。有一天聽到了這樣一則似曾相識的故事：哲學教授上課時拿了一個空的馬乃司瓶子，先放進兩英寸大的石頭；裝滿後，他又拿了一盒鵝卵石，一邊搖晃瓶子，一邊將鵝卵石也倒了進去。鵝卵石於是填充了石頭間的空隙。最後，老師將一盒細沙倒入了瓶子，終於所有的縫隙全被填滿。。。Ok，我想，我知道你接下來要說只要我們努力，就可以做的更好。。。就在我正要轉去聽另一個音樂台時，卻聽到一個與我以前所知道的完全不同的解釋：

教授說，這瓶子就是你的一生。裡邊的石頭是你一生中最重要事情：家人，伴侶，孩子和健康，即使沒有鵝卵石與沙子，你的人生依然是完滿的；鵝卵石則是稍次要的事情，比如你的工作，房子，車子等等；而沙子就是剩下的所有小事情。如果這瓶子裡先裝滿鵝卵石和沙子，就沒有地方放石頭了。同樣，如果每天只忙於小事情，你就忽視了那些你生命里最重要的東西。。。

這個故事給了我很大的啟發。此後，每當我為一些人或事不開心的時候，就會看看我瓶子裡的石頭是否還都安在，如果那不是我的某塊石頭，我就不去計較那些鵝卵石或沙子。

同時，在自己感到被別人忽視的時候，我也會意識到，我只不過是其他人生命中的一粒沙。知道了自己的位置, 也就不會奢求被所有的人關心和重視了。

 我的人生因了這個故事而變得快樂而安逸。好多困擾我的煩惱都迎刃而解。生活本來可以如此簡單，只要守護好那幾塊屬於自己的石頭，其他的不過是鵝卵石和沙子而已。。。

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.