denise_14 Posted May 27, 2010 Share Posted May 27, 2010 The Mayonnaise Jar (by Laura Bankston) 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 start 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 it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf ball. 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 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. '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 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. '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.' Link to comment
Celestialagape54 Posted May 27, 2010 Share Posted May 27, 2010 Awww I love this! Thank you so much for posting this! Link to comment
Reilly2856 Posted May 27, 2010 Share Posted May 27, 2010 Loved it! I never heard this one before. It was a great read Link to comment
MeiMei Posted May 27, 2010 Share Posted May 27, 2010 Reading the passage cheered me up. Even though everyone know that we should cherish our family and friends above everything else, it's nice to be reminded every once in awhile especially during the tougher times. Link to comment
denise_14 Posted May 27, 2010 Author Share Posted May 27, 2010 Glad to know you guys liked it! ^_^ Link to comment
Shortpants Posted May 27, 2010 Share Posted May 27, 2010 This is great! I have heard variations of it before, but that was long ago. Thank you for the reminder to "not sweat the small stuff" and focus on the truly important things in life. Link to comment
Jd1983 Posted May 27, 2010 Share Posted May 27, 2010 That was really nice. Thank you for posting. Link to comment
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