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TWO GLASSES OF WINE
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 theory.
A professor stood before his philosophy class with some items on his
desk in frontof him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up
a very largeand 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 openareas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if thejar was full.
They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up abox 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 theempty space between the sand.
The students laughed.
'Now,' said the professor, asthe laughter subsided,
'Iwant you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things; your family, your children,
your health, your friends, andyour favourite passions;
things that if everything else was lost and
only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other thingsthat matter like your job,
your house, and your car.
The sand is everything else; the small stuff.
If you put the sand into the jarfirst', he continued,
'thereis no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The samegoes for life.
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will
never have room for the good things that are important to you.
Pay attention to the things thatare critical to your happiness.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partnerout to dinner.
Playanother 18 holes.
Do onemore run down the ski slope.
There will always be time to clean thehouse and
fix the disposal.
Take care of the golf balls first;
the things that really matter.
Setyour priorities.
The rest isjust 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.'
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