THE MAYONNAISE JAR ( know your Priorities )

When things in your life seem almost too much to
handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough,
remember the mayonnaise jar and two 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 fills 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 it 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 - God,
family,
children, health, friends, and favorite passions.
Things,
that if everything else was lost and only they
remained,
your life would still be full. The pebbles are the
things
that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand
is
everything else -- the small stuff.” he said.
“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...” he told them.
“So... pay attention to the things that are critical to
your
happiness. Worship with your family. Play with your
children. Take your partner out to dinner. Spend
time
with good friends. There will always be time to
clean
the house and fix the dripping tap. 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 and said, “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.”