When I am having a hard day, I like to remember this quote “It is not the mountains ahead that drive you crazy, it is the grains of sand in your shoes.” That quote always reminds me to not let the little things get me down. I also reread this article that I found over 20 years ago that really puts my priorities in place.
A professor stood before his philosophy 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.
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. Once agreed, they did.
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 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 God, family, health, friends, your 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 home, 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 and 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.”
One student asked what the coffee represented. The professor smiled and said that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.
