The Mayonnaise Jar and The 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 it was full.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles then rolled into the open spaces among the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed that it was full.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up the spaces that were left.

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 their entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty spaces among the grains of 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.

"However, 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 really important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children or your grandchildren. Take time to get medical checkups.

Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18 holes of golf. There will always be time to clean the house or 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 as to what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. "I'm so glad you asked". It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, how busy you are as you go down life's highway, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

 Compliments of dougandaprilmiller.com