hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2

cups of coffee.

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 your

happiness. Play with your children. 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."