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Tuesday, February 5, 2008

"The Mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee"

"THE MAYONNAISE JAR & 2 CUPS OF COFFEE"

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 Hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jarand 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy classand had some items in front of him.When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very largeand empty mayonnaise jarand proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the studentsif 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 openareas between the golf balls.
He then askedthe students againif the jar was full..They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sandand poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.
The students respondedwith 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 thatthis jar represents your life.The golf balls are the important things -God, family, children, health, friends, and Favorite passions --things that if everything else was lostand only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matterlike your job, house, and car.
The sand is everything else --the small stuff.
"If you put the sand into the jar first,"he continued,"there is no room forthe pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.
If you spend all your timeand 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.
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 handand 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."

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Good story and a good reminder of whats important!
Thnaks
Christina

Damama T said...

I'd heard that before, with rocks as the big things and ending with the sand. But I REALLY like this version so much better! Thanks for a great reminder about keeping our priorities straight. With all you've got going on right now, I'm glad you are keeping it in mind also.

Let us know how the job is going, OK? xoxoxo

Heather said...

Great story and good timing. I've been very, very busy and stressed, and that's a good reminder to slow down and take care of the important stuff. Thanks.

onthegomom said...

Such a great story. We all need to be reminded of what is truly important!

Lucille said...

I love that poem or story or whatever it is called! Thanks for the reminder to slow it down and appreciate the small things and especially FRIENDS.

Sipping coffee and thinking of my bloggy friends,

Me

Jen said...

Love this story. Thanks for sharing....and reminding me of my priorities.

http://jenatwork.blogspot.com

xoxo
jen