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 beer.
A professor stood before his
philosophy class and had some
items in
front of him. When the class began,
wordlessly, he 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. So 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 a unanimous 'yes.'
The professor then produced two
cans of beer 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, your favorite passions--
things that 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, 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 partner 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 beer
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 beers.'
