Inspirational Stories

"Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit." - Napoleon Hill

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks which were about two inches in diameter.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks.

The professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. The students laughed. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

"Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, your children - anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed."

He continued, "The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else. The small stuff."

"So, if you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy filling your life with the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are most important to you."

Inspirational stories can do a lot for us. We all have obstacles to overcome and it is comforting to know that someone, at sometime or another had to go through something similar and therefore knows how we feel. How they dealt with their adversity can help teach us what road to take in our own life.

The following inspirational stories are meant to encourage and motivate. Try to find yourself in these examples. Who knows, you may find answers to the questions you have been searching for.

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