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 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.

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, family, your 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."

{Author Unkown To Me}