March 29, 2007

  • Who are your golfballs?

    The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee 

    When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day

     
    are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee. 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 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,

     
    "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 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