A Cup of Coffee
I got one of those emails the other day. You know the ones. I almost never pass them on as I hate getting them. In fact I remember receiving it once before, but it struck me this time as having value. So in light of the new year, I will paraphrase for you.
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.
Take a very large, empty mayonnaise jar and fill it with golf balls. Ask yourself if the jar is full. It looks full so yes, the answer has to be full. Now pick up a box of pebbles and pour them into the jar. Shake the jar lightly until the pebbles roll into the open areas between the golf balls. Ask again if the jar is full. You're beginning to catch on, but basically you figure that yes, it's full. Now pick up a box of sand and pour it into the jar. Of course, the sand fills up everything else. Ask yourself once more if the jar is full. Yes, now it is full. Wait. Now come up with two cups of coffee and pour both of them into the jar. The coffee is easily absorbed into the jar of sand, pebbles, and golf balls.
Now, imagine 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, 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 exercise and care for yourself. Take your beloved out to dinner. Indulge your passion for music, golf, books, time in the kitchen, or whatever it may be. 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.
Now what does the coffee represent. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem to be, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.
I realize that this is one of the things that I have been doing wrong. In thinking that I'm getting things done, I've just been bothering with the small stuff. It looks like I have my first goal or (ugh) resolution for the new year:
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ prioritize ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ rachman
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posted by rachman | 1:45 AM
4 Comments:
Oh oh! I am feeling a bit uncomfortable. I guess I am the world's worst prioritiser.
Another thing I need to work on!
Rob, please don't feel uncomfortable over most of what I write about. If I write it, it's because I need to hear myself say it. Besides how could you be the world's worst when I am the world's worst. Any way I figure if I worked on that one thing a little bit more, I would have fewer unnecessary things to work on.
Where does writing fit into all this? Let me guess...it's one of the golf balls right? :-)
What a beautiful post - consider yourself linked! :-)
Hello ghostrose, it's nice to meet you. Of course writing is a "golf ball." I don't know why I didn't say that, since I enjoy writing this little blog so much. I guess it is still a little bit new to me.
Thanks for dropping by.
~ r.
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