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 *****.
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 golf *****. 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 a 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 ***** 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 *****. 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 ***** 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."


Andy

 

sial