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."

Please share this with someone you care about. I
JUST DID.