When
things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are
not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the two 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 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 an 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 — your
family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite 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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