When things in your life seem almost too much to handle and 24 hours in a day 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, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and start 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 it 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 found this amuzing and 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 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 wouldn’t be room for the pebbles or golf balls.

The same goes for one’s 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 your wife/partner/friend out to dinner. Take time to go for that medical checkup.

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There will always be time to clean the house, fix the dripping tap or wash your car. In other words ‘take care of the golf balls’ first – the things that really matter.

It is important to set your priorities.

The ‘rest is just sand.’ One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled and said, ‘I am 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.’