The Mayonnaise Jar and Two Beers

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in
front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very
large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with
golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into
the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open
areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full.
They agreed it was.

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

The professor then produced two beers from under the table and
poured the entire contents into the jar,
effectively filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you
to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are
the important things; your family, your children, your health,
your friends and your favorite 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, and your car.
The sand is everything else---the small stuff.
'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued,
'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.'

The same goes for 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. Spend time with your children .
Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter.
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 you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there's always room for a couple of beers with a friend.'

Contributed by Megan B. Johnson

Obama-isms

Americans... still believe in an America where anything's possible - they just don't think their leaders do.

If the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists - to protect them and to promote their common welfare - all else is lost.

Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation - not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago.

We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK. That's not leadership. That's not going to happen.

What Washington needs is adult supervision.

- Barack Obama -

Thought For The Day

Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.
- Barack Obama -

Thought For The Day

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.
- Edmund Burke -

Thought For The Day

Good leaders make people feel that they're at the very heart of things, not at the periphery. Everyone feels that he or she makes a difference to the success of the organization. When that happens people feel centered and that gives their work meaning.
- Warren Bennis -