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.
The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your house and your car.
The sand is everything else, the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles and the golf balls.
The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Take your partner out to dinner, play with your children if you have any, take time to have medical check-ups and take time to play your favorite game, it’ll take your mind off the heavy problems. There will always be time to fix the home and see to the laundry.
Take care of the golf balls first; the things that really matter. Set your priorities. “The rest is just sand.”
I asked what the coffee represented and my professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked”, he replied, “It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”
The writer, at 97, holds the Guinness World Records as the oldest active journalist and radio show host. He presents Walter’s World on Israel National Radio (Arutz 7) and The Walter Bingham File on Israel Newstalk Radio. Both are in English.