The important things in life
A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items on the table in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, about 2 inches in diameter.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
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.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
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.
He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “Yes.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Take care of the rocks first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”
A small crack (شکاف) appeared () on a cocoon (). A man sat for hours and watched carefully the struggle () of the butterfly to get out of () that small crack of cocoon. Then the butterfly stopped striving (). It seemed () that she was exhausted () and couldn’t go on (continue) trying. The man decided to help the poor creature (). He widened () the crack by scissors (). The butterfly came out of cocoon easily, but her body was tiny () and her wings () were wrinkled (). The man continued watching the butterfly. He expected () to see her wings become expanded () to protect () her body. But it didn’t happen (اتفاق افتادن)! As a matter of fact (), the butterfly had to crawl () on the ground () for the rest of her life(), for she could never fly. The kind man didn’t realize (نمی دانست) that God had arranged (قرار داده بود) the limitation () of cocoon and also the struggle for butterfly to get out of it, so that a certain () fluid () could be discharged () from her body to enable () her to fly afterward (بعد از آن).
Sometimes struggling is the only thing we need to do. If God had provided () us with an easy to live without any difficulties then we become paralyzed (), couldn’t become strong and could not fly.