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johnnio

Hi everyone,
They are coming down hard on us in work for excessive internet use, so have came on for a very quick browse.
Copied and pasted this from a blog I happened to stumble onto today, it's very, very good, so thought I'd share it with you:

THE MAYONNAISE JAR AND COFFEE
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 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 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 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 infamous "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. Your family, your children, your
faith, your health, your friends and your favourite 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. Your job, your house and 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 repairs.
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."

quizman · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:31 pm Post subject:

very good and probably true, poetic in ways,
ironic with Ryder Cup being in the news.
_________________
Life is what happens while you're busy making plans.

jennywales · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:34 pm Post subject:

BRILLIANT, Johnnio!

I have done some pebbles today, but really need to take care of the golf balls......
_________________
UNEXPECTED WINNER 2009 FLAT 10 TO FOLLOW COMPETITION!

johnnio · Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 12:07 am Post subject:

Thanks Jenny, can't take credit for it unfortunately, saw it on a blog, and copied it for a woman in work who goes to philosophy lectures a lot.
Thought it was a good analogy for life.

alansouthcoast · Site Admin Joined: 28 Mar 2006 Posts: 13721

Thanks for posting that Johnnio. The point about making time for whats important is very true.

Sky_Of_Darkness · Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 11:36 am Post subject:

Johnnio,

Great post. From this weekend on I'll go in search of all my family and friends. Based on the above analogy, they'll be hiding amongst various forests, lakes & trees around Europe, as that's where all my golf balls are :-)