How surreal the following story makes you feel waking up to on a beautiful Saturday morning! It is profound that all our life we struggle to identify our Golf Balls, Pebbles and Sand. Once we do, it is entirely up to us to ensure that we don't mess up with our selection again. Do you agree?
The
Mayonnaise Jar
When
things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is
not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and two 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 fills 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 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 - God,
family, children, health, friends, and favourite 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.” he said.
“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...” he told them. “So, pay attention to the things that are
critical to your happiness. Worship with your family. Play with your children.
Take your partner out to dinner. Spend time with good friends. There will
always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap. 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 and said, “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.
If
you have come thus far and are in or around Mumbai, do let me know if you would
cherish to have your coffee (or any other nectar of your choice) with your
truly. I am sure I am still missing to collect some of my precious Golf Balls
which I expect life to give me another opportunity by throwing them back to my
sack, which I won't mind carrying with me through the 'course' of my life, of
course, without depending on a caddie to piggyback my treasure for me :)
Do
share this with other "Golf Balls".
Cheers
Ritesh Garg
@ https://scorpiofury.blogspot.com
