2/22/2013 12:29:00 PM
Eksi Romiasih
The Mayonnaise Jar and the Two Beers 🏺🍺
(A Story to Remember When Life Feels Too Much)
When life starts to feel overwhelming — when 24 hours in a day never seem enough — take a moment to remember the story of the mayonnaise jar and the two beers.
A philosophy professor once stood before his class with a few items on his desk.
Without saying a word, he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and began filling it with golf balls.
When the jar was full, he asked the students,
“Is the jar full?”
They all agreed it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.
He shook it lightly, and the pebbles rolled into the spaces between the golf balls.
Again, he asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed it was.
Next, he picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up every remaining space.
Once more, he asked if the jar was full.
The students unanimously said yes.
Finally, the professor took out two bottles of beer from under the table and poured them into the jar — filling the tiny spaces that remained between the grains of sand.
The students laughed.
When the laughter subsided, the professor said:
“Now, I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the most important things — your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your passions.
Even if everything else were lost, your life would still be full.The pebbles are the other things that matter — your job, your house, your car.
The sand is everything else — the small stuff.”
He continued:
“If you put the sand into the jar first, there’s 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 things, you’ll never have space for what truly matters.Pay attention to what’s critical to your happiness.
Spend time with your loved ones.
Take your spouse out to dinner.
Play another round of golf.
Visit your parents or grandparents.There will always be time to clean the house and fix the little things.
Take care of the golf balls first — the things that really matter.
The rest is just sand.”
One of the students raised her hand and asked,
“What about the beer?”
The professor smiled and replied:
“I’m glad you asked.
The beer just shows that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room to share a couple of beers with a friend.”
🍃 A simple reminder that priorities matter — and that joy, love, and laughter always have a place, no matter how busy life gets
