The Pickle Jar Theory.

Yesterday my love sent me this e-mail (by way of a forward). I translated it from French (okay... I wasn't feeling that ambitious... I used Google to translate it from French) and here is the result. I think the "story" has such a beautiful meaning and so much truth that I had to share.

There once was a professor of philosophy who in front of his class took a large empty jar of pickles and without saying a word, began to fill it with golf balls. Then, he asked his students if the jar was full. The students were willing to say YES.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar of pickles. The pebbles rolled into the empty spaces between the golf balls. The teacher asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar of pickles. Of course, the sand fills all voids and the teacher asked again if the jar was full. The students unanimously answered YES.

Immediately after, the teacher added two cups of coffee into the jar of pickles and the coffee actually filled the spaces between the grains of sand. The students then began to laugh. When they finished, the professor said: I want you to realize that the pickle jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things like family, children, health, everything that is truly important. Our lives would still be full if we lost everything else and they were all that remained. 

The pebbles are the other things that count such as work, home, car, etc. The sand is everything else, the little things in life. If you put the sand first, there would be no room for anything else - the pebbles or the golf balls..  It's the same thing in life.

If we spend all our energy and our time for small things, we will never have room for the things that really matter. Pay attention to things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children (or grandchildren!), take the time to go to the doctor, dinner with your family, playing sports or practicing your favorite hobbies. There will always be time to clean, repair the kitchen, etc. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set priorities, the rest is just sand..

One student raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented... The professor smiled and said: It's good that you ask. It was just to show you that although your life may seem satisfied, there will always be room for a cup of coffee with a friend.

So when it seems that there are "too many" things in your life, when 24 hours don't seem sufficient...Remember the jar of pickles and have a cup of coffee with an old friend.