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 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 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.
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. 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 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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