A professor
stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the
class began, he wordlessly 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 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 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 mow the lawn.
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 to share a cup of coffee with a friend.”
Original source unknown.