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When things in your life seem almost too much to handle,
when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar
and the 2 cups of coffee.
A professor stood before
his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When
the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty
mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then
asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them
into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the
open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again
if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor
next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course,
the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar
was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."
The
professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and
poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the
empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.
"Now,"
said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to
recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the
important things - God, your family, your children, your health,
your friends and your favourite passions - and if everything else
was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full."
"The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job,
your house and your car."
"The sand is everything else - the
small stuff."
"If you put the sand into the jar first," he
continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The
same goes for life.
If you spend all your time and energy on
the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are
important to you".
"Pay attention to the things that are
critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to
get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another
18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the
disposal."
"Take care of the golf balls first - the things
that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee
represented.
The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It
just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."
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