Mayonnaise Jar And 2 Cups Of Coffee!!

When things in you life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours a day are 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 up with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The prof, 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 pured 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 prof, then produced 2 cups of coffee from under the table and pured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now", said the prof, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognise that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health, friends and favourite 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 the 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, take time to get medical check ups. Take your partner out for 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 asked what the coffee represented. The prof 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!!"