The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

When things in your life seems 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 item in front of him
when the class began, wordlessly
he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceed to fill it up with golf balls.

He then asked his 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 shoke 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 again agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sanf 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 his table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling up any empty spaces in the jar.

The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
"I want you to recognise that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things - family, friends, health and favorite passions - that that if everthing else was lost, and only they remainded, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matters like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else - the small stuff."

"If you out the sand into the jar first," he continued,
"there will not be room for the pebbles of the golf balls.
The same goes for life.

If your 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
tale time to get medical checkups
take your partner out for dinner.

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 student raised her hand and asked what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled.
"I'm glad you asked.

"It just goes to show that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with your friends"