THE MAYONNAISE JAR

When things in your life seem almost to 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 an 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, 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."

When he had finished, there was a profound silence.

Then one of the students raised her hand and with a

puzzled expression, 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."
Source:www.catsprn.com