A friendly cup of coffee . . .

A friendly cup of coffee . . .

Today it is raining and I cannot work on the outside things I wanted and I really don’t feel like doing some of the inside things I need to get done so I am sitting here with a cup of coffee watching the many birds hit the feeders on the deck and in the yard.  There are golden finches, cardinals, blue birds, squirrels and many others flying all around.  The weather is just a good soaking easy rain not like the several lightning and thunder storms around lately.  The rain has a chance to penetrate the Georgia red clay ground and this rain is good for the plants, trees, and grass which has all transformed this area into a lush green haven for everything.

 Sitting here and watching the birds going about their business of foraging food, flying around seeking shelter from the rain I pleasantly enjoy my cups of coffee and am once again reminded about how stressful life is for many of us.  I remember a story from a seminar that the instructor had told us about stress, and how you approach life.

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 coffee . . .

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 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 and 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 and the students responded with a 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 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 God, 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 holes on the golf course.  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."

 Hope you enjoyed.

Ice