Created originally for a part of a philosophy grade requirement, but will probably continue after I complete the course.
...but it has the word philosophy in it
Published on July 9, 2004 By Andrea Nelson In Philosophy
I need to start posting what I've already written for philosophy, but doing that at work can be difficult. I am sneaking this in because the boss is out of the office today.

A Lesson:

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
beer. 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 ag! ain 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 cans of beer 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,
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, 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. 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 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."

Comments
on Jul 10, 2004
Great blog! It would make a heck of a beer commercial, stressing the need to prioritize.