Philosophy 101 {Insp}

"Philosophy 101"

When things in your life seem almost too much to
handle, when 24 hours in a day are 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---G~d, 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 your
happiness. Play 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.
"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."
Received on Sun Apr 15 06:56:27 2007