A Mayonnaise Jar and Two Cups of Coffee - by Laura Bankston

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 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 produced 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 pebb! les or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If
you spend all you r 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 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.'