The Mayonnaise Jar and Coffee

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

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 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
God, your family and children, your health, your
 friends, and 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, 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 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
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."