Remember the
Mayonnaise and Coffee
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 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.
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 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 a coffee pot from under the table and
poured coffee into the jar 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 God, family, your children, your health, your
friends, and 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, 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 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."
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
Submitted by
Pat Chappel |