I was sat one day on the beach, looking out to sea in contemplation, when I looked to my side and saw the Prophet for the first time. He was approaching, looking at the ground as if searching. I waited until He was near and asked Him if anything was the matter. He stopped searching and looked over to me with a kind smile. Then nodding as if satisfied with something He and came over to sit beside me. We sat staring out to sea for sometime before the Prophet produced from His bag a medium sized empty glass jar. Smiling He placed it on the sand before Him. It was then He turned and spoke to me.

'Is the jar full ?' He asked

'Of course not.' I replied, and He smiled again. Then slowly He began picking up pebbles. After He had collected a small pile of pebbles about the size of golf balls, He placed them carefully into the jar, until it was filled to the brim.

'Is the jar full now?' He asked. I thought for a moment and then replied

'Yes. Now the jar is full.' Again He smiled and began picking up smaller stones, about the size of peas, and when He had finished He began gently dropping the small pebbles into the jar, occasionally tapping the side. The smaller pebbles all fell down between the cracks of the larger pebbles. He turned to me again and asked

'Is the jar full now?'

'Yes.' I replied, 'Now the jar is definitely full.' and I was sure of my convictions. He smiled again and took a handful of sand and poured it over the jar. As the sand fell in, it filled the cracks between the smaller pebbles until the jar was filled to the brim with sand.

'Is the jar full now?' He asked.

Nodding and smiling I replied 'Yes, now the jar is most definitely full. But why are you trying to trick me ?'. Leaning back and looking at the sea He spoke ..

'The jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your friends, your health - things that even if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things in your life - your house, your job, your car. The sand is everything else, the small stuff. If you put the sand in the jar first there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. As it is in nature, so it is in life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, there will be no time left for the important things.

Pay attention to the things that are crucial to your happiness. Enjoy the sunshine, take care of your health, take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, fix all your broken possessions. Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter. The rest is just sand.'

He motioned to the jar, and stood up as if to leave, then He looked to me again and smiled, before turning and walking down to the sea. I sat for a while looking at the jar, and thinking of the things He had told me. It seemed so simple when it was explained like that. I couldn't understand why I hadn't seen it before. I looked up as a shadow was cast across the jar, and there stood the Prophet smiling down at me.

'Is your jar now full?' He asked.

'Yes.' I replied. 'It is now. Thank you."

His smile beamed broader still and He leant down to my jar, and drawing His hand from beneath His robe He produced a glass of water. Slowly He positioned the glass over my jar, and poured.

The water ran down between the grains of sand until the whole glass was empty.

'And what is the water then?' I asked

'Later ...' He replied