Have just received this email and it brought a tear to my eye and wanted to share.
When things in your life 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 with some items in front of
him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large, empty
mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed 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 space 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 - God, family, your children, your health, your
friends and your favourite 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 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 important
things.
"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your
spouse/date 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."
Please share this with someone you care about. I JUST DID.