The Mayonnaise jar... and the Coffee...

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hoursin a day are not enough, remember this story

The Mayonnaise jar... and the Coffee...

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items infront of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a verylarge and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golfballs. 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 thejar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areasbetween the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jarwas 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 ifthe jar was full. The students responded with an infamous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the tableand poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling theempty space between the sand. The students laughed."Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you torecognize that this jar represents your life.The golf balls are the important things. Your family, your children,your faith, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions. Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, yourlife would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter. Your job, your house.The sand is everything else. The small stuff. "If you put the sandinto 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 timeand energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the thingsthat are important to you.! Pay attention to the things that arecritical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner and take time torelax. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the sheddoor.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 youthat no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for acouple of cups of coffee with a friend."