To all the golf balls in my life.

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 2 root beers. A professor
stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When
the class began, he wordlessly 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 a unanimous ‘yes.’ The professor then produced two
Beers 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 and your
favorite passions—and 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 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. Spend time with your children. Spend time
with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical
checkups.. Take your spouse 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
root beer represented. The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’ The
root beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s
always room for a couple of root beers with a friend. Please share this with
someone you care about. I JUST DID!