This was sent to me by my officemate..

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in aday are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front ofhim. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and emptymayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked thestudents if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jarHe shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between thegolf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. Theyagreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Ofcourse, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jarwas full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'

T he professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured theentire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between thesand. The students laughed.
'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognizethat this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the importantthings---your family, your children, your health, your friends and yourfavorite 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 andyour car.
The sand is everything else---the small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no roomfor the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend allyour time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for thethings that are important to you.
'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Sp e ndtime with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit withgrandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out todinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house andfix the disposal. Take care of the golf ball first---the things that reallymatter. 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 youthat no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a coupleof Beers with a friend.'