An Empty Jar of Mayonnaise and 2 cups of coffee

I’ve just received a really nice email from my sister who doesn’t often write emails. Anyway, i want to share it with you all. This of course isn’t written by my sister but an email that has been circulating around users email inboxes. It’s called:

An Empty Jar of Mayonnaise and 2 cups of coffee

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 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 — your God, 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 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 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."

Please share this with someone you care about…

I JUST DID

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Comments

Hi Duvien,

i´d translated (and trackbacked) that story a couple of years ago and published it on my blog. I had read it carefully and understand it. but what happend? work and work and work and neverending work. It´s such a long time ago that i had a cup of coffe with somebody without talking about work while having it. todays evening I zapped trought my blog entries and read that post i found on your blog and decided to call a old friend of mine. a friend who i haven´t seen for years. I took to train to hamburg to meet him and we drink a coffee (and of course some beer - that trick works with beer to ;) ).

Everybody: don´t believe in sand, think about the big things but don´t forget the little ones. listen to the things your stomach tolds you (not only when you hear: Burger!)...

I should give a reminder to myself to read that story regularly ...

p.s. excuse that awfully english

Thanks (again)

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