Ingredients

How to make it

  • The Mayonnaise Jar and a Friendly Cup of Coffee...
  • When things in your life seem almost too hard to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar...and the 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 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 everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a 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- your God, family, your children, your health, your friends, and 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 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 to 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. 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 inquired what the coffee 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 cups of coffee with a friend.'

Reviews & Comments 14

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    " It was excellent "
    brianna ate it and said...
    I love this & am going to print it for future reference. 5 +++++++forks
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    " It was excellent "
    knwalter ate it and said...
    Sorry, was in alterations by mistake!
    ;0)
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    " It was excellent "
    knwalter ate it and said...
    Truer words could never be spoken. This is beautiful, I can't wait to send it to my parents and inlaws. Thank you and your sister for sharing. Made my day!
    KW
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    " It was excellent "
    jenniferbyrdez ate it and said...
    Nice story-and this is the first time I've seen it. Thank you.
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  • lilliancooks 15 years ago
    LOL! Pieplate! I can't take credit for spelling it correctly...I just copied it from the paper that way!
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  • pieplate 15 years ago
    Eyecatching title (and extra points for spelling 'mayonnaise' correctly).
    Was this review helpful? Yes Flag
  • christinem 15 years ago
    That's a nice story, and so true! In fact, I DO remember getting it in an email a while ago, but as I was reading it I didn't remember the end! So thank you for posting it! :)
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  • momoften 15 years ago
    Always a good reminder, needed it this week.
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    " It was excellent "
    juels ate it and said...
    I agree with Lmqluvscats. We do need to be reminded of such things often! This just showed me that I need to cut my time on this site and spend time with my kids instead! LOL
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  • lmgluvscats 15 years ago
    Yes, I have read this before this before under other titles....but it's something that we need to be reminded of again and again.....at least I do. **LOL** Many thanks for sharing.
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  • bestcooker 15 years ago
    What a nice story!
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    " It was excellent "
    sparow64 ate it and said...
    Thanks so much for sharing! I needed that today.
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  • lilliancooks 15 years ago
    LOL! Beer? I guess they could make it any type of drink! Probably in England they say 'a cup of tea!' LOL! This is the first time I saw it! I'm always the last to know! Can you believe they actually had that avatar on photobucket.com? Thanks for checking it out!:)
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  • mommyluvs2cook 15 years ago
    This is cute...I heard the same thing but with beer instead of coffee ;)
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