Count your blessings. Spend time with your loved ones. I dedicate my next Sam Adams Octoberfest to you!
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.
So 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 the remaining space. He asked once more if the jar was full. The
students responded with an unanimous 'yes'.
The professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and poured the
entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the space between the sand
particles. 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 family, your children, your health,
your friends, your favourite passions - things that if everything else were lost,
and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other
things that matter like your job, your house, 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 your partner out to dinner. Go out with friends. There
will always be time to clean the house and fix the washing. 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 beer 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 beers."
