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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 glasses of wine... 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.
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. Again
he 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 glasses of wine 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
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 of golf. Do one more run down the ski
slope. 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 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.
We welcome similar comments, jokes or anecdotes
made in a lighter vein about wine by our readers and
will be glad to share some with our readers-Editor
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