Jar of Life

At New Year's everyone always seem to focus on self-evaluation and self-improvement.  It reminds me of a common illustration.

I first heard it when I was in high school during one of our chapel services, Mrs. Fikkert gave a demonstration that has stuck with me all these years. I have seen many variations on it but none quite like the version I saw first.

She had a jar and some rocks, stones, sand, and water. She showed how putting the sand and stones in first took up so much room that there wasn't space for the rocks to fit. But if the rocks were put in first, the stones fit around them, then the sand filled in the small spaces left, and even the water fit even though you could no longer even see the spaces that were actually still there.

She explained that this is a great way to look at our lives. The rocks represent the most important things--God, spouse, children, family, relationships, health, etc. They need first priority. They are the things, however, that easily can get left out of your life. If noting else fits into our lives, we can still be fulfilled and meaningful. It's interesting to me that the important things have been in people's lives all throughout history--God, family, work, self-care. It seems the unimportant things are the ones that change over the centuries--games, hobbies, computers!

I especially like the concepts that you sometimes have to rearrange things a little bit and that if some sand or water doesn't fit in the end it doesn't matter because they didn't really matter to begin with anyway. Sometimes a rock changes in your life--you finish school, your aging parent no longer needs special care, a renovation is completed, etc. Then another rock, or some stones or sand can fit in its place.


video of Life Jar demonstration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_N_uvq41Pg

Plus beer!          Jar of Life plus beer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqGRnlXplx0

I found one with water!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38U_rLLW-qM