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 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 an 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. There will
always be time to clean the house, and fix what is broekn. 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."
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