The Two Glasses of Wine Story.

When things in your life seem too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Glasses of Wine Story……

A professor stood before his 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 his students if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor then picked up a box of small pebbles and poured them in to the jar..
He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked his students if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor then picked up a jar of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked his students once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous ‘Yes’.

The professor then produced two glasses of wine 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 recognise that this jar represents your life.’

‘The golf balls represent the important things; your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favourite passions i.e. things that, if everything else was lost, and only they remained, mean 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 that is left in your life’.

‘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 things, you will never have room for the things that are most 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 diner. Play another round of golf. Do one more run down the ski slope. There will always be time to clean the house or weed the garden. 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 enquired what the wine 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 glasses of wine with a friend.