Sands of Time
You have probably heard this analogy already, but I came across it again recently and it’s a good reminder for when life seems to get in the way of life.
Take a large glass jar and fill it full of pebbles. Is it full? Yes of course. Now take a handful of gravel and put it into the jar, where it trickles down between the stones. Is the jar full now? Take some sand and pour that into the jar, filling the spaces between the stones and gravel. Full yet? Not quite. Take some water and pour that into the jar. Now it’s full. The moral of the story, of course, is to put the stones in first.
The stones are the important things in life – writing, creating, doing something that takes you closer to your goals or values. The gravel, sand and water are all the small things that need doing to keep life moving, but can easily take over your day. How many days do we fill the jar with sand and gravel and find that yet again there is no room for the rocks? Or, put it another way, if your days seem like endless jars of sand, never forget that the most creative and inspirational people are not necessarily those who have most free time on their hands.
So when you meet someone at a Christmas party who says “Yes, well, I’d love to write a book/sail round the world/take up painting, but of course I don’t have the time,” you can give them a good slap. Or a jar of sand.
As Ellen MacArthur (and many others) have said: “Goals are just dreams with deadlines.” I’d better go and collect some pebbles…..
The snow seems to have passed us by here in west Wales so far, but it’s still cold enough to need plenty of extra chocolate and a glass of something festive to keep out the cold. Have a peaceful Christmas, everyone, and I’ll leave you with a Christmas quacker….
That’s a very nice analogy. Thanks for sharing.