MONDAY MUSINGS SEASON 2 - EPISODE 376
27th July 2026
Time for everything
Time is limited and precious as well as inexhaustible
There is a story from the life of King Akbar and the wise advisor of King Akbar, Birbal. Once when Akbar inquired of Birbal, “The most valuable thing in life?” Birbal answered, “Time, Majesty, because gone once, it never returns.”
Many of us end up tracking and completing a list of priority actions only. Our daily schedule should include all types of actions. There is a famous story to illustrate this concept.
The Jar of Life
A university professor once stood before his philosophy class with a large empty glass jar. Without a word, he filled it with large rocks until no more could fit. He asked his students, “Is the jar full?” They nodded yes.
He dumped a fist full of pebble rocks in the bucket. They rolled through the spaces amidst the rocks. He asked again, “Is it full now?” With big smiles, the students replied, “Yes.”
Lastly, he added a scoop of sand and dumped it in. The tiny grains fell between each crack till the bottle seemed totally packed. He stopped and stated, “This bottle symbolizes your life. The rocks symbolize time for the highest things on your list — your loved ones, your health, your character, your mission. The pebbles symbolize the second-highest things on your list — your job, your house, your pastimes. The sand is for the little things — the little issues that occupy our days but are NOT IMPORTANT”
The lesson was brief but deep: If you place in the sand first, nowhere will remain for the rocks or pebbles. And if you put in the rocks first, all the rest will fit in place.
Ensure to fill your daily schedule with activities from all the four quadrants of Eisenhower Matrix, reserving considerable time for tasks which are IMPORTANT but not necessarily URGENT.
This simple story has echoed through classrooms, boardrooms, and homes across generations because it speaks to an eternal truth — our life is defined by how we prioritize what truly matters.
Too much of sand
Swami Vivekananda used to say, “Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life—think of it, dream of it, live on that idea.” His words echo the spirit of the jar. When we make the “rocks”— our purpose and core values— our priority, we live purposefully.
It is essential to have some sand in your bar but you cannot have the jar full of sand. With our hyperlinked world, it is simple to fall prey to letting the sand take over — non-stop notifications, endless pages, gossip, or seeking material status. These are the “sands” that promise ease but, eat up time and attention. Like grains that fill a container, they creep in unnoticed until space is left for that which feeds the soul — love, health, wisdom, creativity, and peace. The jar can be filled with sand to the brim that it wont allow the pebbles and rocks to get in. A jar full of sand will not look nice.
Time value of Mahabharath
Importance of time is exemplified in many of our classical literature. Pandavas were aware of the need for spending a good portion of your time on tasks which are IMPORTANT but NOT URGENT (Eisenhower Matrix). During the 12-year exile period, Pandavas knew that the war is inevitable- they must avenge Kauravas once the exile period is over. Thus, Pandavas started upgrading their skills and kept themselves fit for the war. Arjun, the ace archer worshipped the gods and added many magical weapons (Divyastras) in his armoury.
Focus on timebound action
Enraged by his son Abhimanyu’s unfair death, Arjuna took a pledge to kill Jayadratha. It was not just an ordinary vow. He vowed to kill Jayadrath before the sunset. Arjuna's pledge is a prime example of time-bound execution under pressure. Goals without timelines are ordinary goals. TIMEBOUND is an essential characteristic for SMART GOALS.
Arjuna could not honour his vow to kill Jayadratha before the deadline ie sunset. Lord Krishna took it on himself to protect the importance of time and saved Arjuna from the ignominy.
Stephen Covey, in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, took it right from that parable: “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” There will always be more sand in life that we cannot manage. The self-control is in selecting the rocks first — health before wealth, family before renown, and character before ease.
Albert Einstein once said, “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” Living in a measurement-obsessed world — likes, followers, net worth — Einstein reminds us that real worth is in the intangibles: wisdom, kindness, purpose.
Lots of positive actions, will cover in the next episode
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Conceived, compiled and posted as a weekly motivational newsletter #MondayMusings every Monday by Jaganathan T (www.authorjaganathan.com)
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PROMOTIONS
