The Mayonnasie Jar

There may be many who have heard this story before, but it bears refreshing, and is something I want my children to understand completely.

Here it is as I read it:

"A professor stood before his philosophy class with a few 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 it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook it lightly. the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He asked the students again if the jar was full, and 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 what space was left. 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 contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty spaces 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 - God, family, church, 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 represents 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 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. Play another 18 holes of golf. 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."

In closing: When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.