Monday, June 3, 2013

A mayonnaise jar and two cups of 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 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 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.... 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. 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 cup of coffee with a friend."


Well...The kids at Al Noor school for children with Special Needs continue to amaze me with their work !!





delightful patterns....





juicy...refreshing...watermelon slices on the wall...

The kids had real fun making these ...
and as you can see two of them have a fake bite too :)






It was really hard to resist :)


Did you see the 
Special Patterns
we made last week !



My friend Kristin from Twinkle Twinkle has planned
another Summer of Color !
I can't forget the fun I had last year !
Can't wait for all that "colorful" drama to begin !!





21 comments:

  1. Awe, I love everything about this post! You know, I used to teach classes on customer service, and I used that story!! LOVE it, love your art and thank you for helping to spread the word about the SOC - SO happy to have you playing again, xoxo

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  2. Awwww what a wonderful story you tell...it moves me alot and it is so true :) your painting is just gorgeous and what should I say, I fell in love with the little boy in front of her, but don´t tell ;) ♥ Conny
    http://piaromsartjournaling.blogspot.de

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  3. What a wonderful story! It contains such wisdom, doesn't it? If only we all would live that way. And your painting is gorgeous, gorgeous! Love what the students did too.

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  4. I loved every word and every picture, so glad I could come by, thank you!!!

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  5. I love the little birdie detail! (And now I want some watermelon too!)
    Happy PPF!

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  6. Gorgeous post, absolutely love the story and all the images! Thank you and a hug! <3

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  7. Great seeing this art growing as I go down the page.Happy PPF.

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  8. I am always amazed with the poetic feel of your work, Ritu. I also thoroughly agree with this powerful parable which I'd heard but forgotten. Thanks for the reminder and blessings!

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  9. Beautiful art and inspiring, thought provoking story, Thank you for sharing:)

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  10. Thanks so much for posting this. I read this somewhere years ago and just recently I'd been wondering how the story went, since I'd forgotten a great deal. Am gonna save it now. Beautiful artwork too!

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  11. Wonderful you you revealed your painting as you told the story, simply marvelous. Happy PPF

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  12. Love your attention to details and patterns, Ritu!
    ♥♥♥
    Happy PPF!!
    Mary
    Mixed-Media Map Art

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  13. She's lovely Rita and I especially love the little bird. HPPF!

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  14. Your work is so detailed and rich! Great story!! Thanks so much for sharing your work. Happy Paint Party Friday!

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  15. what a wonderful post! I know that story-it's a good one :). Your portrait is so beautiful as is the art by those smiling students. Happy PPF!

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  16. Amazing art, love the paterns.

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  17. I read this lesson before but loved reading it once again...a beautiful reminder of what's important, with gorgeous art accompanying...and I love the kids watermelon and pattern art too!!

    Hugs Giggles

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  18. What a great story I really enjoyed it. Your art is so inspiring too and I love what your class made! Happy PPF!

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  19. I love that story about the golf balls and the sand - it's so easy to forget the important things in life. Your painting is beautiful - full of vibrancy and details. I especially love the little bird.

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  20. Great drawing! Nice to see you in the photo. :)

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