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WIT & WISDOM - October 7, 1998 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: You must be the change you wish to see in the world. - Gandhi [1] ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: A while back I was reading about an expert on subject of time management. One day this expert was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration. As this man stood in front of the group of high-powered over achievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz." Then he pulled put a one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar and set it on a table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?" Everyone in the class said, "Yes." Then he said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. Then he smiled and asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?" By this time the class was onto him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" he replied. And he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?" "No!" the class shouted. Once again he said, "Good!" Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked up at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?" One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!" "No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all." What are the 'big rocks' in your life? A project that YOU want to accomplish? Time with your loved ones? Your faith, your education, your finances? A cause? Teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all. Author Unknown [2] ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: It is ONLY one word but . . . ONLY I lent my cousin my AM radio. (No one else lent it.) I ONLY lent my cousin my AM radio. (I didn't GIVE it to her.) I lent ONLY my cousin my AM radio. (I didn't lend it to anyone else.) I lent my ONLY cousin my AM radio. (I have no other cousins.) I lent my cousin ONLY my AM radio. (I didn't lend anyone else's radio.) I lent my cousin my ONLY AM radio. (I have no other AM radio.) I lent my cousin my AM-ONLY radio. (It doesn't have FM.) I lent my cousin my AM radio ONLY. (I didn't lend anything else.) [3] ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: Overheard during a particular long sermon, "If we give him the money now, Mommy, will he let us go? [4] ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: From reader Yvonne: "When you stay at hotels, be sure to take the plastic shower caps offered; or, go buy a huge bag of caps from a discount beauty outlet (such as Sally Beauty - 50 for less than $2). These caps fit over almost any bowl or container and save you from the search of lids that fit. They are cheap, sanitary and disposable. (For the frugal and environment-conscious: wash 'em out, hang 'em to dry, and use 'em over and over. No more fighting with plastic wrap - yes!!!" The Learn Letter, Copyright 1998, Panmedia Corporation. All rights reserved. [5] ~~~~~~~ CONTRIBUTORS: [1] (Inspiration a Day! jhinds@technologist.com) [2] (Marye McKenney, Michaeline Penkivech, Phua Seng Tiong) [3] (Big Al via Fast Eddie's Funnies http://recommend- it.com/l.z.e?s=154533) [4] (Kitty's Daily Mews http://www.katscratch.com) [5] (http://www.Learn2.com/talk/join.html) |