I liked this.
Two glasses of wine
A professor stood before his philosophy class with several items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large empty 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 small pebbles and poured them into the jar.
He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the spaces between the golf balls. He again asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a sack 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 a unanimous “YES!”
The professor then produced two glasses of wine from under the desk and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty spaces between the sand. The students all 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 and your favourite passions; things that if everything else was lost and only these remained, your life would still be fulfilling. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else; the really 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 really important for 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 holes of golf, take one more run down the ski slopes, do that yacht race, start that painting.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the garden.
Take care of the golf balls first; the things that really matter. Set your priorities. Look after your job and your house, the pebbles, next. “The rest is just sand.”
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine 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 glasses of wine with a friend!”
Johnz
Johnz
