August 17, 2009
2 cups of coffee?
“This really resonated with my life at the moment. It puts a lot into perspective for me so if any of you are feeling that life is a bit crazy for you right now – this might help …..”
When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly 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. They agreed it was.
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–your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—and 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 and 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.
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.”
My reply to her was this: “Nice prose. Unfortunately, the sand has become pebbles and they contaminated my coffee!”
I really appreciate the contents of the above and there’s definitely a lot of truths in that. However, at this point, I can’t help but feel helpless when the abrasive sand gets under my skin and there’s nothing I can do about it.
Hey pal! When the abrasive sand gets under your skin, just treat it as if you are undergoing some spa treatment 😛 Once everything is over, you will feel rejuvenated! 🙂 Cheer Up ya! Sunshine will be out in no time 🙂
Well…i go on this ride long enough, soon my spa treatment would will peel off my skin! :p And thanks for the thought YT!
When I read this, I felt sad. Sad in a way that you just nailed our current work situation in a succint piece.
Afterawhile, the sand gets so overwhelming that it buries the golf balls and you can’t find them no matter how hard you dig.
Life shouldn’t be that sad and I’d like to think we have a choice to walk away. to always remember that if u lose everything else, the golf balls are there and you shouldn’t have to be diging too hard to find them. That would be the saddest thing
I thought the general advice I’d always get is to stop digging? Heheh.
Sometimes you have to take 10 steps back and review the things that are most important to you. Don’t let the daily grind mess you up and in the end you become one of “them”.
#Kim
I think this one is worth digging lah huh! ;D
#Vicky
Couldn’t agree more. That would be the most scary thing.. “one of them”