OT: Good Advice

[Guest guest]

Howdy y'all,

 

For many years of my life I would not have been able to send this

post and believe that it was really Good Advice. As I got older I

began to realize that back when I thought I knew all there was to

know about what was and was not important in life, I were simply

rationalizing and justifying my own opinions. The below is not new

and many of you have seen it .. but it might have some importance to

you now .. or maybe later.

 

Y'all keep smiling. :-) Butch

 

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 2

Beers.

 

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 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 Beers from under the table and poured

the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space

between the grains of 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.

 

'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit

with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your

spouse out to dinner. Play another 18 holes. 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 and said, 'I'm glad you asked.'

 

The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem,

there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.'

 

If you take care of your character, your reputation will take care of

itself.