A professor stood before his
philosophy class and had some
items in front of him. When the
class began he wordlessly 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 a unanimous "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 recognize that this jar represents
your life. The golf balls
are the important things---God,
your family, your children,
your health,
your friends and your favorite passions---and
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. Spend time
with your parents. Visit with
grandparents. Take time to get medical
checkups. Take your spouse out to
dinner. 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
and said, "I'm glad you asked."
The coffee just shows you that no
matter how full your life
may seem, there's always room for
a couple of cups of coffee with
a friend."
