By Tyler Tompson-
I was reading a short story online and the message at the end really hit home with me, so I wanted to share it with you this week.
A professor of philosophy stood before his class with some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks about two inches in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was full.
So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly and watched as the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The professor asked the students again if the jar was full.
They chuckled and agreed that it was indeed full this time.
The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. The sand filled the remaining open areas of the jar. “Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this jar signifies your life. The rocks are the truly important things, such as family, health, and relationships. If all else was lost and only the rocks remained, your life would still be meaningful. The pebbles are the other things that matter in your life, such as work or school. The sand signifies the remaining ‘small stuff’ and material possessions. If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks or the pebbles. The same can be applied to your lives. If you spend all of your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are truly important.”
After reading this, I slowly had to think about how I was prioritizing the things in my life right now, like my family, relationships, work-life balance, schoolwork, and so on. I noticed that while I prioritize things in my life pretty well at the moment, there always comes a time where I find myself focusing on the “sand” or the “pebbles” and not what really, ultimately matters.
It can be really easy to become distracted and lose sight of what is most important and critical in your life when you are stressed out or start to focus more on what the professor refers to as the “sand” or “pebbles” in our lives. It is important for us to pay attention to the things in life that are critical to our happiness; the things that really matter. Take care of the rocks first – your family, relationships, close friends, and physical and emotional health. The rest are just pebbles and sand.
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Below are the Fall & Winter events we have scheduled at The Texas Baseball Ranch. We’d love to have you join us for one of them…
For Pitchers: We have 3 Elite Pitchers Bootcamp dates (Thanksgiving Break, Christmas Break & Martin Luther King Holiday. For more information go to: https://www.texasbaseballranch.com/elite-pitchers-bootcamp/
For Catchers: (Yes, you read that right!) We’re excited to announce our first Elite Catchers Boot Camp for catchers ages 14 & up. Only 2 spots remain. More information on this event and the amazing group of instructors can be found at: https://www.texasbaeballranch.com/catcher
For Coaches: Regular Registration for the 20th Anniversary of our Ultimate Pitching Coaches Boot Camp ends Oct.31st! After that, the price goes up by $100 (if space still available). This event is known as the Gold Standard in the industry and this year’s lineup of speakers is incredible! Check it out at www.coachesbootcamp.com. Over half of 150 seats have already been taken. Don’t delay! Can’t Attend? Don’t worry. DVD’s of the event are also available at that webpage.
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