>> 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
>> thing s 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. Play another 18. 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. "Im 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."