Fill Life
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 health, your children, your job, your friends,
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, "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 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 and replied, "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."
4:40:42 PM 
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