This morning, I pause, hand on heart. I listen—not just to the cadence beneath my palm, but to the quiet, steady whisper of my soul’s intent. It seeks not perfection, not busyness, but care and tending. As I take a sip of the dawn, I reflect.
What comes to mind this morning is an old story that is one of my favorites, often shared by elder wisdom brokers like Stephen R. Covey, who has always been an inspiration to me. Addressing his audience, he would place a glass jar before him and then fill it to the brim, first with rocks. Then some pebbles. And then sand. The lesson, a classic show-and-tell, was about how to set priorities by starting with the big things first; otherwise, there would be no room left in the jar for the smaller, yet equally meaningful items.
If I think of this jar as my soul, then my healing is not just about managing my life, but about tending to the innermost parts of myself. Follow me on this.
The Rocks — Anchors of my Soul
The rocks are the foundation. They represent safety, compassion, and love—the anchors that help the soul rest and trust again. They are heavy but holy. Without them, the jar cannot stand.
The Pebbles — My Daily Soul Practices
The pebbles are the small but steady rituals that tend to my soul’s needs—writing a prayer or a poem and breathing until my body softens—sitting quietly with someone who truly sees me. These are not heavy, but they are essential to my stance. They settle into the spaces between the rocks and strengthen what is already there.
The Sand — Grains of Everyday Grace
And then, the sand. The most ordinary, yet most miraculous. A bird song at dawn. The warmth of sunlight on your skin. The stillness of a deep exhale. These grains are medicinal to my soul, reminders that the sacred hides in the simplest and, nearly always, the least visible places.
The Order of Healing
Whenever I tried to fill my jar with sand first—busyness, striving, distractions—there was no space for the deeper work. But if I begin with the rocks of compassion and connection, and then the pebbles of strength and courage, the minute yet overriding grains of grace flow in naturally. Notice that in this order, the jar is full, but not overflowing. My soul is not just full—it is tended, nourished, whole.
A Hand on Heart Blessing
So today, hand on heart, may you behold the jar of your own soul. May you place the rocks of safety and love first. May the pebbles of practice keep you steady. And may the sand—the everyday graces—settle gently, filling your being with quiet holiness.
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