I found this on Facebook tonight and it was just what I needed to see. It was put in front of me at just the right time. It reminds me to focus on the important things and to set my priorities. I think I am doing okay with it, but never really perfect. It is funny because just after I read this story my daughter, who was supposed to be in bed, runs down the stairs in a panic. She tells me that she promised her friends she would show me their headbands and have me fix them. My first reaction was telling her that she should be in bed and that the girls' moms would fix them. So, I told her to have her friends first ask their moms then if they couldn't do it, to bring them back here and I would do it. Then, I paused, and realized that it would not kill me to take 5 minutes out of my mom time to fix these headbands for little girls I didn't even really know. So, I told her to hand them to me and I would fix them as best I could. She then gave me the biggest smile, said thank you, and went to bed. It was one of those things that I realized I needed to put my daughter first over myself. She is so caring, that she told her friends that her mom could fix them. Which means she really thinks a lot of what I can do and that I care about these little things. It makes me glad that I took the few minutes to take care of the headbands and show my daughter that I care about all aspects of her life. So, here it is....
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The Mayonnaise Jar
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 two 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 fills 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.
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 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.” he said.
“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...” he told them.
“So... pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Worship with your family. Play with your children. Take your partner out to dinner. Spend time with good friends. 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 and said, “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.”
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Now, time for me to find that cup of coffee with some friends I have been missing lately.
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