> 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 jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
> He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
> So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the
> jar. He shook the jar slightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas
> between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was
> full. They agreed that 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 a
> unanimous "yes". The professor then produced two cans of beer from under
> the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling
> the empty spaces between the sand. The students laughed.

> "Now," said the professor, as 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, your
> favourite passions - those 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, 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 really important to you."

> "So, pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play
> with your children. Take time to get medical check ups. Take your partner
> out to dinner. Play another 18 holes. There will always be time to clean
> the house and fix the toilet. 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. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to
> show that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a
> couple of beers"