Business Matters 5

Mayonnaise And Coffee
By Francis Kong

One day a conversation took place between the husband and the wife.

The wife was not in a very happy disposition that morning and so she complained:

“You think so much of your old game you don’t even remember when you were married.”

The husband calmly replied: “Of course I do, my dear; it was the day I sank that 30-foot putt.” Oops. Priorities!

Here’s another story.

A wife was getting tired of her husband golfing every Saturday, so she decided to go with him to see what the attraction was.

His first drive of the day went into the rough, then his second shot bounced across the fairway into the lake. After retrieving his ball, his third shot wasn’t any better. It went back across the fairway into the rough again.

After taking several more shots to finally reach the green, he turned to his wife and said, “And you thought I was having a good time!” Again, priority!

I think this is a rehash of an old story with a twist but is worth retelling because of its practical benefit for today.

Peter McIntyre from Far East Broadcast Company sent me this material entitled: “The Mayonnaise Jar & 2 cups of coffee.” How true this is!

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.

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 was 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 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— God, 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– 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 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 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.”

Shall we have coffee then?
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