food for daily life.

-stolen from Justin Lacap.



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
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:
your God, family, your children, your health,
your friends, and your favorite 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 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. 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 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 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.”