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 66-year-old professor stood before his philosophy class with 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

> 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 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 more.
> 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

That is brilliant, real food for thought!!!especially on a horrid monday morning!!