The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee
The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee
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 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 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 in to the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full.
The students responded
with an 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 -
family, children, health,
friends, church, 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, house, and car.
The sand is everything else --
the small stuff.
"If you put the sand into the jar first,"
he continued,
"there is little or 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 really
important.
So...
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 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."
