An inspirational anecdote about the "jar of life" is something I remember from a demonstration in one of my college classrooms, and it surfaced again on
SuccessfulLiving.com not too long ago. The story is about a professor who stands before his class with some items on the desk in front of him. He picked up a large empty jar and proceeded to fill it
with golf balls, asking the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
He then poured a box of pebbles into the jar and shook it lightly. The pebbles
rolled between the golf balls and again he asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
Next, the professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. The sand
filled up everything else and then he asked the class yet again if the jar was full. They agreed, with a unanimous "yes," that it was.
Finally, he produced two cups of coffee from under the desk and poured them into the jar. The students
laughed. "This jar represents your life," said the professor. "The golf balls are the important things such as
family, children, health, friends, and your passions; things that, if everything else was lost and only the golf
balls remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are other things that matter, like your job or house.
The sand is everything else—the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
"The same goes for life," he continued. "If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are really important."
He paused. "Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Love your family. Play with
your grandchildren. Get medical checkups. Take your partner on a vacation. 
There will always be time to
clean the house. Honor your priorities. Take care of the golf balls first—the rest is just sand."
A student raised her hand and asked what the coffee represented. The
professor smiled and said, "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for coffee with a friend."
Now THAT'S something that's critical to MY happiness!
An inspirational anecdote about the "jar of life" is something I remember from a demonstration in one of my college classrooms, and it surfaced again on
SuccessfulLiving.com not too long ago. 