What Are Your Big Rocks?

I must admit, I typed in "blogspot.com" with a bit of trepidation just now.  I knew that it had been a while since I posted last, and wasn't too sure I wanted to see the date of my last entry.  Sure enough, it was eleven days ago -- so much for my great plan of posting three times a week.  Granted, the past week and a half have been somewhat crazy for me, but if I'm honest with myself, there has been a lot of wasted time within that stretch, as well.  The draw of the flatscreen TV that I got as a Christmas present has been far too strong.  It has become far too easy for me to pop in a DVD that I've already seen twenty times instead of finishing tasks that need to be done.  My priorities are out of whack, and I can feel it.

It reminds me of a story a friend from college told me once.  (And if you've spent any time around me in the past couple of years, you've probably already heard this story.  But it's worth repeating.)  He had a youth director that got out a big glass jar and put in enough large rocks to fill it up to the brim.  He asked the kids, "Can anything else fit in there?"  The kids answered, "no."  He got out some pebbles and started fitting them in the spaces until, again, they reached the top.  Again, he asked the kids, "Can anything else fit now?"  Again, the kids said, "no."  He then took out sand, poured it in the jar, and asked, "How about now?  Can anything else fit?"  The kids were starting to get the picture now, and some hemmed and hawed, while others stayed silent.  He responded, "Well, let's see."  He brought out a pitcher of water and poured it into the jar until it was level to the brim.  He then looked at the students and asked, "What was the point of what I just did?"  The kids responded, "There's always room for something else."  He smiled and said, "No.  The point of this is that if I hadn't put the big rocks in at the beginning, they never would have fit."

So, like I asked in the title of this entry, what are your big rocks?  What are those things that should be of the most importance to you?  Is it spending quality time with family?  Finishing major tasks?  Keeping good on your promises?  Maintaining your health?  Only you can provide that answer, because only you know what is truly important to you.  My challenge to you (as well as to myself) is to spend some time figuring out what those big rocks are, and situating the other "little rocks" in your life around them.  I know one of my "big rocks" is inspiring others to take control and improve the quality of their lives, and this blog (I think) is a great way to do that.  So, then, I need to make sure that I make a point of taking the time to keep up with my updates, and letting the big box in my living room stay dark for a while.  Just like everything else that's important in life, it doesn't come easy.  But I know from personal experience that if I let my big rocks fall into place, I feel much happier and fulfilled.  (In other words, I don't feel like I've wasted my day.)  Plus, the little rocks can still fit between the cracks.