Just Wanted to Share a Couple of Beers

This is something I picked up off my pile of Emails. Hope you like it

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are just not enough, remember this story of the mayonnaise jar and the beer.

A professor stood before his philosophy class with some items on the desk in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and filled it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the spaces between the golf balls. He asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured the contents into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked again if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "Yes".

The professor then produced two cans of beer and poured them into the jar, effectively obliterating the spaces between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now", said the professor, after the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that the 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 pebbles are the other things that matter - your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else - the small stuff. If you put the sand in first, there is no space for the golf balls and pebbles.

The same goes for life. If you spend your time and energy on the small stuff, there will never be time for the things that are really important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical for your happiness. Talk to your parents, play with your children. Take time to get a medical checkup. See another sunset. Write to a friend. 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 asked what the beer represented.

The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers."