Thought this was cool, so I decided to share:
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 beer. 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 a 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, 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, here 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 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 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.😏
I love that story. It's the first time I've heard anyone use golf balls as the large objects (usually large stones), and include golf as one of the 'essential, central parts of your life'. I think I see a bias from the author - he has after all rated playing 18 as high as being healthy and seeing his kids!