Life & Mayonnaise Jar
A professor stood before his philosophy class & had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a large and empty mayonnaise jar & proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed 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 than asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand & poured it into the jar, of course, the sand filled up every thing else. He asked once again if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “Yes”.
The professor the produced two cups of coffee from under the table & 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 God, family, your children, your health, your friends & your 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. And the Sand is everything else- the small stuff”
He paused. “If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time & 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 them to get medical checkups, take your partner out to dinner. There will always be time to clean the house & fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities, the rest is all sand”
One of the students raised her hand & inquired what the Coffee represented? The professor smiled. “I am 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”
Be optimistic & lead a happy life
Regards,
Aisha Khoja
PS: This article is not my property & the due credit goes to the author who wrote this. I read it somewhere few years back & found it very interesting so sharing it with you.
A professor stood before his philosophy class & had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a large and empty mayonnaise jar & proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed 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 than asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand & poured it into the jar, of course, the sand filled up every thing else. He asked once again if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “Yes”.
The professor the produced two cups of coffee from under the table & 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 God, family, your children, your health, your friends & your 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. And the Sand is everything else- the small stuff”
He paused. “If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time & 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 them to get medical checkups, take your partner out to dinner. There will always be time to clean the house & fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities, the rest is all sand”
One of the students raised her hand & inquired what the Coffee represented? The professor smiled. “I am 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”
Be optimistic & lead a happy life
Regards,
Aisha Khoja
PS: This article is not my property & the due credit goes to the author who wrote this. I read it somewhere few years back & found it very interesting so sharing it with you.
