The Mayonnaise Jar

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OKLAHOMAN

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This is old but worth repeating!

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,
he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
and started 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 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 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.'
 
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Thanks Roy. For some of us that isn't an old one. :biggrin:

Now pardon me while I empty the sand out of my shoes. :smile:
 
And here I was about to pour myself a cup of ice coffee and head down to the studio with my four-legged friend. (No coffee for her, though, she's energetic enough as it is!)
 
This is the first time I've ever read that story. It's very relevant for me in a lot of ways right now as well.

Thanks for sharing it!
 
Being retiered, I can concentrate on the Golf Balls and having a cup of coffee or a glass of good wine with my spouse or good friend.
Thanks for the reminder,
 
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+1 to tea
+1 to the first time I read this
It is good to have people like you to remind us of stuff like this. I am talking about putting our lives in order. Sometimes we get wrapped up in our day to day routines we lose sight of the big picture.
 
Thanks Roy, I have seen this before and enjoyed it just as much this time. Definitely something to think about at this stage of my life.
 
Thanks Roy. I saw this some time back, but the reminder was perfectly timed.

As for the Tea thing, I still remember a small 'Tea Party' we threw in Boston. Like the Native American said in "McClentock", Good party, no whiskey, we go home. That is what we did that night in Boston. No whiskey and we went home to a big fight. No Tea. coffee.
Charles
ps. non political. I do enjoy a glass of southern tea from time to time. For you Yankees that means Sweet Tea, on ice, in a big glass. None of these fu-fu cups with the pinkie sticking out to get broken off.
 
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