In my email today...

I found this little gem.

The Mayonnaise  Jar



When  things in your life seem 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 items in front of
him.



When the class began, wordlessly,he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise
jar and start 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

it 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 an
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 - God,  family,

children, health, friends, and favorite passions  

Things  that if everything else was lost

and  only they remained, your life would still be full.



The pebbles are the things that matter like your job,house,and 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.



So...



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.



There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.



'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.'