The Mayonnaise Jar
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 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. 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."
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 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. 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."
