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Pebbles and Golf Balls

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A professor stood before his philosophy class and there was a mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee and other items in front of him. When the class began, he quietly picked up the 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 emptied 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.  The sand filled up the rest of the empty space. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.' 

The professor then took the two cups of coffee and poured the entire contents into the jar.  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 represent the very the important things, the core elements – God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions – even if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles stand for the other things that matter like your job, house, mobile phone and car. The sand stands for 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 important and significant things and persons your of life.  

“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 asked what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. “I'm glad you asked” he said and continued, “It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a few cups of coffee with a friend.” Jesus also said: “Build you house on rock and not on sand.” We must build our life on more solid and lasting elements – spirituality, love, peace and brotherhood. 
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