a mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

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 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, without word, 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 - 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 other things that matter like your job, house, and 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.

So... Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play With your children. 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 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."


At the holidays life always seem to get really busy and crazy for all of us and I wanted to post this for us all to remember what is really important. I am already starting to think about my New Year's Resolutions, and one of them is going to be to spend more time with friends. I want to continue to cultivate the friendships that I have made and not neglect them. A friend of mine called last week and asked me to look at my calendar and find two hours so that we can both go to a coffee shop and catch up over the phone. She lives in North Carolina and we don't get to talk without the kids interrupting very often. I thought that this was a great idea. We are calling it a date, and acting like it is. You would never leave a date waiting at a coffee shop, right?

I hope that you are all getting everything you want accomplished for the holidays. Just remember to take time to spend with friends and family to just talk and hang out. Because not everything has to be about presents, cookies, etc.

Have a great Tuesday,
Cathy