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Indulging My Sappy Side

Written by Admin | Apr 14, 2010 4:00:00 AM

Okay, I honestly don't think I've ever forwarded stuff like this before (yeah, that's what they all say!), but I thought this was an excellent descriptive of what happens when you don't keep life's more important things in their rightful roles.  Thanks Marnie!

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The Mayonnaise  Jar

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, without a word,
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 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 - 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 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 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.
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  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.'