Two Beers

THE JAR OF LIFE

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in aday are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 beers.
A professor stood before hisphilosophy class and had some items in front of him. Whenthe class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large andempty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golfballs. He then asked the students if the jar was full. Theyagreed that it was.
The professor then picked up abox of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jarlightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between thegolf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar wasfull. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up abox of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sandfilled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar wasfull. The students r esponded with an unanimous'yes.'
The professor then produced twobeers from under the table and poured the entire contentsinto the jar effectively filling the empty space between thesand. The students laughed.
'Now,' said theprofessor as thelaughter subsided, 'I want you torecognize that this jar represents your life. The golf ballsare the important things---your family, your children, yourhealth, your friends and your favorite passions---and ifeverything else was lost and only they remained, your lifewould still be full.
The pebbles are the otherthings that matter like your job, your house and your car.
The sand is everythingelse---the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into thejar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for thepebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If youspend all your time and energy on the s mall stuff you willnever have room for the things that are important to you.
'Pay attention to thethings that are critical to your happiness.Spend time withyour children. Spend time with your parents. Visit withgrandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take yourspouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always betime to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care ofthe golf balls first---the things that really matter. Setyour priorities. The rest is just sand.'
One of the students raised herhand and inquired what the beer represented. The professorsmiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.'
The beerjust shows you that nomatter how full your life may seem, there's always roomfor a couple of beers with a friend.'