When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when the COVID pandemic or the political turmoil is driving you to despair, remember the large jar and the two cups of coffee.
One day my philosophy professor entered class carrying an apparently heavy carton and placed it on his desk. Without saying a word, he took from it a very large empty glass jar and filled it with golf balls. Then he asked us if the jar was full. We agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and emptied it into the jar. He shook the jar and the pebbles rolled into the spaces between the golf balls. He asked again if the jar is now full and we all agreed. Next, he picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. Then he asked once more if the jar was full and the response was a unanimous “yes.” Finally, the Professor took two cups of coffee from under the desk and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty spaces between the sand.
We all laughed somewhat puzzled. When the laughter subsided, the professor began: “Now, I want you all to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things; your God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your passions. Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.