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Inspirational Story: Professor and the Jar

Tyria

Ryuusa bakuryuu
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Here is a story I found and wanted to share. Try to identify what he tells you to and forget all the sand.

http://www.wow4u.com/theprofessor/

A Professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he 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.

So 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 cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the space between the grains of sand.

"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 - 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 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. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner 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 coffee represented. The Professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. 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 Fury

is licking himself.
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That is so true, there's always room for coffee. If you have room for coffee and cake then your life is full. In fact he should have just thrown out the golf balls to make room for cake.
 

Zezon Vice

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Wow, i like this.
 

Solfege

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But the jar was full to begin with. All the stuff he put into it just replaced a lot of the air that was in there in the first place.

(Sorry, couldn't resist pointing that out. :rolleyes:)
 

The Fury

is licking himself.
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He already put coffee into it and coffee beats water hands down. Because coffee is the greatest invention of mankind. Y'know I could use another cup right now, I've only had five so far this morning.

Blacker than a moonless night...Hotter and more bitter than Hell itself...that is coffee.

I liked that so much, I even changed my signature to match it.
 

MindsEye

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Liked the story, but I dislike coffee. LOVE TEA!

I was hoping he'd say this about the coffee: it's the extra shit you don't need and it turns everything brown.
 
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I like that story
 

Mud~Eye

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Good story, I'm glad you shared it. It's easy to forget, isn't it (what's important, I mean)? I liked the coffee song, too.
 
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my jar is definitely getting more and more empty by the day.....
 
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Location
metro Detroit area
I'm glad for the few family golf balls and the couple of pebbles I have left still. I'd be a complete mess now otherwise.

edit: Got some sand and a couple more pebbles coming in a couple weeks....but what does that do for me TODAY?
 
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