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 cups of coffee.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 an 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, 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.