Important things in your 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 everything else.
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 and fix the disposal.

Take care of the rocks first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

Footprints in sand

One Night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonged to him and the other to the Lord. 

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.
 

This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you you'd walk with me all the way, but I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me." 

The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child, I love you and would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

Enjoy your life at every moment

Once a fisherman was sitting near seashore, under the shadow of a tree smoking his beedi. Suddenly a rich businessman passing by approached him and enquired as to why he was sitting under a tree smoking and not working. To this the poor fisherman replied that he had caught enough fishes for the day.

Hearing this the rich man got angry and said: Why don’t you catch more fishes instead of sitting in shadow wasting your time?
Fisherman asked: What would I do by catching more fishes?
 

Businessman: You could catch more fishes, sell them and earn more money, and buy a bigger boat.
Fisherman: What would I do then?
 

Businessman: You could go fishing in deep waters and catch even more fishes and earn even more money.
Fisherman: What would I do then?
 

Businessman: You could buy many boats and employ many people to work for you and earn even more money.
Fisherman: What would I do then?
 

Businessman: You could become a rich businessman like me.
Fisherman: What would I do then?
 

Businessman: You could then enjoy your life peacefully.
Fisherman: What do you think I’m doing right now?

MORAL – You don’t need to wait for tomorrow to be happy and enjoy your life. You don’t even need to be more rich, more powerful to enjoy life. LIFE is at this moment, enjoy it fully.

As some great men have said “My riches consist not in extent of my possessions but in the fewness of my wants”.

Friendship - Thirukural (786)

Thiruvalluvar says in Thirukural, about friendship

" The smile that dwells in the face is not the true friendship

but  the smile that emerges in the heart is the true friendship." (786)

முகம்நக நட்பது நட்பு அன்று நெஞ்சத்து 

அகநக நட்பது நட்பு (786)

There lived a king and a poet in Tamilnadu (India) who had never met each other but united in hearts and nurtured the divinely friendship. The poet had great respect for king's exemplary rule and King had the great admiration for the excellent literary work of the poet.  They were unseen but not unknown. Due to the disputes of the sons on capturing the power, king decided to  end his life through a long spiritual fasting ( வடக்கிருந்து உயிர் விடல் ). Before his death, he ordered to construct a tomb next to his  for the poet. He had the unshakable faith that his beloved friend would come and die with him. It happened.  On hearing that king was on final fast, poet rushed and joined with him.

( king : Kopperum cholan கோப்பெருஞ்சோழன் ,

poet: Pisiranthiyar பிசிராந்தையார் )

This is divine friendship is gloriously spoken in  Tamil literatures.

Thiruvalluvar advises  to avoid friendship with certain  people.

"  Even in the dream there should not be friendship with those whose words and action are different." ( 819 )

கனவினும் இன்னாது மன்னோ வினைவேறு
சொல்வேறு பட்டாலர் தொடர்பு

Credit goes to one of a  website explaining Thirukural

Those who want to read the full thirukural in english click here for pdf format

FRIENDSHIP AND LOVE

Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget. 

A best friend is like a four leaf clover: hard to find and lucky to have.

When it hurts to look back, and you're scared to look ahead, you can look beside you and your best friend will be there

Good friends are like stars....You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.  

What do you do when the only person who can make you stop crying is the person who made you cry?  

NOBODY IS PERFECT UNTIL YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH THEM. (Isn't that the truth?)