The Mayonnaise Jar

This came in an email.  I tried to verify who wrote it and the only name I found was Laura Bankston.  I then tried to track her down via the internet.  A lot of people came up as possibilities.  I like to give credit to the correct author.  I did come across several debates on the soundness of the philosophy and a general consensus that the professors they knew would never do anything so interesting.  I know that the same demonstration has been done for motivational speeches.  Regardless of the source I have learned several things.  The little stuff will fill up every minute of the day if you let it.  If their are big events, I can still fit small bits of pieces in between.  I don't drink coffee but I can't imagine wanting to drink it after it was mixed with sand.  Sometimes I need to clear some time for my friends since they are often really the big stuff in life.   


The Mayonnaise  Jar  Possibly by Laura Bankston 

When  things in your life seem almost too much to handle, 
When 24  hours in a day is not enough;
remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of  coffee.

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 start 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
it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. H e 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 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 - God,  family,
children, health, friends, and favorite passions
Things  that if everything else was lost
and  only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the 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,
'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. 

So... 

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. 

There will always be time
to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.

'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 coffee 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 cups of coffee with a friend.'