the rest is just sand

I posted this in Sept. 2013 … but I think it’s about time to re-post. Personal I just love this story.

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle when 24 hours are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and two 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. Again he asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. 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 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 like family, children, health, and other things that are passionate in your heart. – Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained – would still be full, your life. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else – the small stuff.

If you put the sand into the jar first, he continued, it is not possible to make room for the pebbles or the golf balls. So it is with 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.

So, pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another about what makes you passionate. Always be time to clean the house and other things that are less important. Take care of the “golf balls” first – the things that really matter. Restore what is most important in your life. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled and said,-I am glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a cup of coffee with a friend.

“Never be so busy as not to think of others.”
Mother Teresa

Note; this story is written by Dr. Stephen R. Covey (1932 – 2012), an American educator, author, businessman, and keynote speaker. (text; wekepedia.org)

Photos provide by and thanks to;
aleqt.com/funny-pictures.feedio.net/indulgy.com/priyanto.tk/
meyerturner.com/allday2.com/soundcloud.com