johnnyvonbondie

The Mayonnaise Jar and the Beer
>>
>> 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 the beer.
>> A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in
>>front of him.
>> When the class began, wordlessly, 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. So 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 cans of beer 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 - God, your family, your children, your
>>health, your friends, your 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, your house, 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
>>with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner
>>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 beer
>>represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked," he said.
>>"It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
>>there's always room for a couple of beers."