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 an
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, your
favourite 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
check-ups. 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."
When he had finished, there was
a profound silence. Then one of
the students raised her hand and
with a puzzled expression,
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."
