Mayonnaise and 2 Cups of Coffee 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 the 2 cups of coffee. 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. 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 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 – and 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 our happiness. Spend
time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with
grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse
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 and said, “I’m glad
you asked. The coffee just shows 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! Have a terrific day!
