Life is good

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 beer.

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. So 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 an unanimous "yes." The professor then produced two

cans of beer 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 family, your children, your health, your

friends, 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, 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 spouse 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 beer

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 beers."