01/07/2026
I just returned from Hawaii after spending time with friends & my parents. I always find that stepping away from the normal day-to-day routine gives me a little more clarity. Being halfway through the year also feels like the perfect time to pause and reflect.
I shared this popular analogy once before, but I could use the reminder myself on a more regular basis. So often, I get caught up in the busyness of everyday life and lose sight of what is truly important.
A professor stood before his class with a large empty jar. He filled the jar with large rocks and asked his students if the jar was full. The students replied that yes, the jar was full.
He then added small pebbles to the jar and shook it so the pebbles filled the spaces around the rocks. Again, he asked, “Is the jar full now?” The students agreed that it was.
Next, he poured sand into the jar. The sand filled all the remaining spaces between the rocks and pebbles. Once more, he asked if the jar was full, and the students said yes.
The professor explained that the jar represents our lives. Our days, weeks, and lives all have a limited capacity.
The rocks symbolise the most important things in life—our health, family, friendships, passions, and self-care. These are the things that money can’t buy.
The pebbles represent the things that matter, but on a smaller scale—our jobs, our homes, our cars, our possessions, and our hobbies.
And the sand represents everything else: the small, insignificant things that can quietly consume our time and energy- scrolling on social media, worrying about things we can’t control, overthinking, and the countless distractions of modern life.
If you put the sand and pebbles into the jar first, there is no room left for the rocks.
The same is true in our lives. If we spend all our time and energy on the small things, we can easily lose sight of what matters most.
So as we begin the second half of the year, it’s a good opportunity to pause and ask ourselves:
Do you know what your rocks are? Are you making time for them first?
💕 Darla
Ps. If you haven’t been to Hawaii yet I highly recommend it. I lived there 5 years & I still can’t get over how beautiful it is.