A lecturer 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 lecturer then picked up a box of gravel
and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The gravel rolled into the open areas between
golf balls. He then asked the students again if
the jar was full.
They agreed it was. The lecturer 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 lecturer 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 lecturer, 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 gravel is 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 gravel 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 significant to your happiness. Play with
your children. Take time to get health checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner. Play another
18.
There will always be time to clean the house,
and repair 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 lecturer 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."