LIFE AND A CAN OF BEER
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 beer.
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. So 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 cans of beer
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, 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. Play
another 18. 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 beer 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 beers."