The Mayonnaise Jar

Published by: Kenty on 1st Oct 2009 | View all blogs by Kenty
(Received this in an email today - thought I would share)

The Mayonnaise Jar

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 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 small 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 - family,
children, health, Friends, and 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, house, and 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.

So...

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.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the creaking door.

'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.'

Comments

5 Comments

  • Tony
    by Tony 2 years ago
    Yes, it's a good one that, Kenty.
    Which category does surfing the Cloud come under, I wonder - whoops, back to the golf balls. Later.
  • Kenty
    by Kenty 2 years ago
    Big Tone - Golf balls of course :O)
  • Weens
    by Weens 2 years ago
    Interesting, if not a touch 'fetch me a bucket quick'. But the sentiment is true and you perhaps don't realise it until you are older, or in some cases, until it's too late.
  • jazzgirl
    by jazzgirl 2 years ago
    This is fabulous.And so true. Thanks.
  • Dee
    by Dee 2 years ago
    LOVE IT. Didn't need a bucket at all. A good strong image to remember in times of need, like when you cannot find a way to rewrite the first three chapters of your wretched book, and it seems like the most important and only thing that matters in the whole world. Bugger the chapters - I'm off to get a life.
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