Time for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend

Recieve a letter from friend . It tell me this story.
Althought I have read this story , I am still touched .


When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24
hours day are not enough, remember the Mayonnaise Jar... and the
Coffee... 

A professor stood before his philosophy class, and had 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 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 this 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 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  recognise that this jar represents your life. The Golf Balls are
the important things - your family, your children, your health, your
friends and your favourite 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, and your car." 

The sand is everything else - the small things.

"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 things, 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 go to the doctor. Take your partner out to
dinner." 

There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn.
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 enquired what the coffee
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 cups of coffee with a friend." 

Please share this with somebody you care about. 

                                                                           Helen