A Professor stood b4 his philosophy class. Wordlessly, he picked up a very large & empty jar & proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the class, if the jar was full. They agreed it was. So the Prof. then picked up a box of small pebbles & poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. HE asked again, if the jar was full. Embarrassed by their earlier over eagerness, they all agreed that this time, the jar was indeed full. The Prof. reached down, for a box of sand & poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more, if the jar was full. The students, wondering how much further this could go, warily answered,"yes". The Prof. then produced two cans of beer from under the table & poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty spaces between the grains of sand, pebbles & golf balls
The students laughed. "Now", said the Prof., 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 faith. Things that if everything else was lost & 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: The day to day annoyances, concerns, fears & hurts, that seem to fill our lives."
"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 & 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 you happiness. Play with your children. Take time to take care of yourself. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18 holes. Pray. There will always be time to fix the house & 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 & inquired what the beer was for. The Prof smiled. "I m glad your asked. It just goes to show you, that no matter how full your life may seem, there is always time for a couple of beers."
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