When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day
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 st 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
unanimous "yes." The professor then pr oduced 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--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,
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 wit h your children. Take time
to get medical checkups. Take your spouse 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." Please share this with someone you care about.
I JUST DID
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