The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in aday 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 ofhim. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large andempty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He thenasked 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 thejar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areasbetween the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar wasfull. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Ofcourse, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jarwas full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table andpoured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the emptyspace between the sand. The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognizethat this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the importantthings---God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and yourfavorite 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 andyour car.
The sand is ever ything else---the small stuff. "If you put the sand intothe jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golfballs. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on thesmall stuff you will never have room for thethings that are important to you.
"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play withyour children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Taketime to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another18. There will always be t ime to clean the house and fix the disposal.
Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set yourpriorities. The rest is just sand."
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what thecoffee represented. The professor smiled and said, "I'm glad you asked." Thecoffee just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there'salways room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."