Making Time for Sikhi

ਕਹਾ ਭੂਲਿਓ ਰੇ ਝੂਠੇ ਲੋਭ ਲਾਗ ॥

Kahā bẖūli­o rė jẖūṯẖė lobẖ lāg.
Why do you wander lost, O mortal, attached to falsehood and greed?

ਕਛੁ ਬਿਗਰਿਓ ਨਾਹਿਨ ਅਜਹੁ ਜਾਗ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Kacẖẖ bigri­o nāhin ajahu jāg. ||1|| rahā­o.
Nothing has been lost yet - there is still time to wake up! ||1||Pause||
(Basant M: 9, Ang 1187)

I came across this inspirational story! I read this a long time ago somewhere and came across it again recently. Waheguru.

Important Things in Life
Author: Unknown

One day an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high powered overachievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz."

Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed jar and set it on the 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 space between the big rocks. Then he asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?"

By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of 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 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 more things in 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?

WAHEGURU, NAAM SIMRAN, SEWA, and then your partner, your children, your loved ones, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others, doing things that you love, time for yourself, your health etc.

Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all. If you sweat the little stuff (the gravel, the sand) then you'll fill your life with little things you worry about that don't really matter, and you'll never have the real quality time you need to spend on the big, important stuff (the big rocks). So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question:

What are the 'big rocks' in my life? Then, put those in your jar first.

ਸਭ ਇਕਠੇ ਹੋਇ ਆਇਆ ॥ ਘਰਿ ਜਾਸਨਿ ਵਾਟ ਵਟਾਇਆ ॥
Sabẖ ikṯẖė ho­ė ā­i­ā. Gẖar jāsan vāt vatā­i­ā.
All have been born and come here to this life, but (according to our actions here) we shall return home (our next life) by our different routes.

ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਲਾਹਾ ਲੈ ਗਏ ਮਨਮੁਖ ਚਲੇ ਮੂਲੁ ਗਵਾਇ ਜੀਉ ॥੧੯॥
Gurmukẖ lāhā lai ga­ė manmukẖ cẖalė mūl gavā­ė jī­o. ||19||
The Gurmukhs reap their profits (of Naam) and leave, while the self-willed manmukhs lose their investment (of any good actions) and depart. ||19||
(Ang 74)