| | 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 glasses of
wine...
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 glasses of wine 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, 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.
Do one more run down the ski slope.
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 wine 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 glasses of wine with a friend. '
[Thanks, Chi Wai, for sharing this with me]
|
| | Posted 5/23/2008 12:22 AM - 38 Views - 4 eProps - 3 comments
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