To Pam & PJ re: a good life lesson

[Guest guest]

Good morning, ladies! (well, at least it's morning where I am!) ;-)

I've taught a similar lesson (with a few differences) many times over

many years to a variety of age groups from children to adults and all

have enjoyed the experiment and the results. One difference I make is

doing a second experiment where I actually show the results of putting

things into the jar in the wrong order so they can see first hand,

instead of only in their imagination, that when our priorities are out

of whack ... our lives follow. I've found that by adding the visual

lesson to the aural lesson it makes the impact that much more meaningful

and long lasting. I first learned this lesson back in 1972.

Also, I'm launching a new page titled " Defining Moments " on my website

next week and one of the stories I'm going to be sharing on that page

within the next few weeks is this experiment and I just didn't want

either of you to think that I was stealing this story from Pam or the

group and changing it for my own purposes. I want to assure you that I

always strive to find the source of all quotes and stories that are not

my own and give the proper attribution because integrity in all of my

affairs is one of those large stones (or golf balls) in my life.

I'm looking forward to learning more " life lessons " here in this group!

It's been wonderful so far!

Cheers!

Jace Carlton

www.changeyourstars.com

Pam wrote:

> I got this from another list and thought this would be great to share

> with this list.

>

>

> The jar of mayonnaise and coffee

>

> A professor, at the beginning of his philosophy class, silently took

> an enormous, empty jar of mayonnaise and began to fill it with golf

> balls. Then he asked the students if the jar was full, and they all

> answered yes.

> Continuing, the teacher took a jar of little stones and put

> them in the jar. He shook the container softly and the small stones

> filled in the spaces between the golf balls. Again, the philosopher

> asked the students if it was full. They said yes.

> After, the teacher took a box of sand and emptied it into

> the jar. Logically the sand filled in the rest of the space. He

> then asked, one more time, if the jar was full. The students

> answered with a unanimous " yes " .

> Next, the professor took two cups of coffee from under the

> table and poured them in the jar completely filling the space

> between the sand. The students, astonished, began to laugh.

> " Now " said the teacher during the animated laughter, " I want

> that you all know that this jar represents our lives. The golf

> balls are the important things: our family, our children, our

> health, God, friends and our favorite hobbies. Things that, if

> everything else disappears, will remain and will fill our

> existence. The little stones are the other things that are

> important, like our house, our jobs and our cars. The sand is all

> other things, it is to say, the small subjects. "

> And he added, " If first you put the sand in the jar, there

> will not be space for the little stones or for the golf balls. The

> same occurs in life. If you unwisely spend your energy on trivial

> things, you will never have time to dedicate to the important

> things. Pay attention to what is fundamental for your happiness.

> Play with the children, take time to make doctor visits, take your

> spouse out for dinner, play another 18 holes. There will always be

> time to clean the house. First, take care of the golf balls, the

> things that are really important. Establish your priorities. The

> rest is only sand. "

> Then, one of the students raised their hand and asked what

> the coffee represented. The professor smiled. " I am happy that you

> have asked that. I only wanted to demonstrate that, no matter how

> full your life seems, there is always time to have a cup of coffee

> with a good friend. "

>

>

>

>

>

>

>