Thought 22
The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 CUPS OF COFFEE
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle,
When 24 Hours in a day is not
enough,
Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.
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.
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 - God, family, children, health,
Friends, and 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, house, and 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.
So...
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 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."
Thought 22