Philosophy & a Glass
Jar
A professor stood before his philosophy
class and
had some items in front of him.
When the class began, silently, he picked up a
very large and empty glass jar and proceeded
to fill it with golf balls.
He 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 spaces between the golf balls.
Again he asked the students if the
jar was
full...
Intrigued, they agreed that it was.
Next, the professor lifted up a box
of sand and carefully
poured it
into the jar. Of course, the sand totally filled it up.
He asked once more if the jar was full.
The students responded with an enthusiastic
"Yes!"
The professor finally pulled out two
cups of tea from
under the table and poured the entire contents into
the jar, effectively filling the empty space between
the tiny grains of sand.
Though perplexed, the
students laughed loudly.
"Now", said the professor, as the
laughter
subsided,
"I want you to recognize that this jar
represents
your life"
"The golf balls are the most important
things - God,
family, children, health, friends, and favorite
activities--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 house, job, and 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 small pebbles
or large golf balls.
The same goes for life:
if you waste
all your time
and energy on the insignificant stuff, you will never
have
room for the things that are important
to you.
So... Pay attention to the things
that are crucial
to
your happiness. Play With your children & pets.
Take time to get medical checkups & eat healthy.
Take your partner out to dinner and vacation peridically.
Play another 18 holes, shoot more baskets,
run further, swim another lap, ride a little longer,
or
enjoy whatever your hobby is - more passionately...
There will always be time to clean the house and fix
the sink.
Take care of the golf balls first
-- the things
that
really matter most.
Set your priorities right;
The rest
is only sand."
One of the students raised her hand
and inquired
what the tea 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 drinks with a friend."
