|
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle,
hours in a
day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise
jar...and the coffee...
A professor stood before his 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.
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 infamous "yes."
The professor then produced two cups of coffee 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
recognise that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things. Your family,
your children, your
faith, your health, your friends, and
your 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. 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.
Show love to all of your family.
Don't hold grudges.
Take time to get medical check-ups.
Take your partner out for dinner.
There will always be time to clean the house and take out the
rubbish etc., etc.
In other words 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."
|
