When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the two cups of coffee.

 

A professor stood before his philophy class and had some items on the desk in front of him. When class started, wordlessly, he picked up a very large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full? THey agreed it certainly was full.

 

THe professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar gently and asked again, was the jar full? They agreed it was full.

 

He smiled and picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. 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 desk and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty spaces betwen the sand.

 

THe students laughed as he asked "Now, is the jar full?"

 

He waited for the laughter to die off, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things. ---your family, your friends, your God, your health, your passions--things that if everything else is lost and only they remained your life would still be full.

 

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car, your stuff.

 

The sand is everything else the small stuff."

 

He continued

 

"If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time on the small stuff there will never be time for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children, Take time for medical checkups, Take your spouse out ,PLay that extra nine holes. There is always time to clean  house, fix the disposal or cut the grass. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

 

One of the students raised her hand,and inquired "What about the coffee?"

 

The professor smiled, "That was just to show you  no matter how busy you think you are, there is always time for a cup of coffee with a friend."