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哲學系的教授上課時，將一個很大的空美乃茲罐子展示給學生看，接著，他將罐子裝滿高爾夫球，同時，問學生，罐子是否滿了？學生回答：滿了。
教授接著拿出一盒小彈珠裝入罐子，彈珠將高爾夫球間的空隙填滿，此時，他再問學生，罐子是否滿了？學生回答：滿了。
接著，老師把一盒沙子倒入罐子內，再問學生，罐子這回是否滿了？學生齊聲回答：滿了。
此時，老師拿出兩杯咖啡，把咖啡到入罐內，終於把所有縫隙填滿。學生忍不住大笑起來。
老師這時開口說：這只罐子就像是我們的人生，高爾夫球就像是在人生中，我們所重視的事物：家庭，健康，朋友，信仰，嗜好等，即便沒有其他的東西，人生仍然是圓滿的。彈珠則像其他較不重要的事，例如工作，房子，車子等，而同理，沙子是人生中其他更微不足道的事。
而如果我們先將沙子倒入罐中，罐子內就沒有空間容納高爾夫球或彈珠了！人生亦然，大家應釐清人生中的優先順序，將精力放在重要的事務上，先將高爾夫球放入罐中，才能掌握快樂充實的人生。
此時，有學生發問：那麼咖啡又象徵什麼呢？
老師笑著回答：很高興你有此一問，不論我們的人生有多麼圓滿，我們都還是能勻出時間和朋友喝杯咖啡的。
THE
MAYONNAISE JAR AND COFFEE
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 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 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 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. 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.
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