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 beers.
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 start to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was
The professor then picked up a box of pebblesand
poured it 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 a unanimous 'yes.'
The professor then produced two pints of
beer from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar,
effectivelyfilling 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 -
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 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 your time and energy on the small stuff,
You will never have room for the things that are important to you.
So...
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Know your God.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.
'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 beers 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 with a friend.'
When 24 hours in a day is not enough; remember the mayonnaise
jar and 2 beers.
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 start to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was
The professor then picked up a box of pebblesand
poured it 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 a unanimous 'yes.'
The professor then produced two pints of
beer from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar,
effectivelyfilling 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 -
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 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 your time and energy on the small stuff,
You will never have room for the things that are important to you.
So...
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Know your God.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.
'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 beers 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 with a friend.'
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