When things in your life seem almost too 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 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 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."

One of the students raised her hand and 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."