There was a little boy with a bad temper. His father gave him a

bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, to

hammer a nail in the back fence. The first day the boy had driven

37 nails into the fence. Then it gradually dwindled down.

He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those

nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose

his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested

that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to

hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able

to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son

by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well,

my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be

the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like

this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't

matter how many times you say 'I'm sorry', the wound is still

there."

Author unknown  

As I was passing the elephants, I suddenly stopped, confused by the fact

that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to

their front leg.

No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime,

break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.

I saw a trainer near by and asked why these beautiful, magnificent

animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.

"Well," he said, "when they are very young and much smaller we use

the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them.

As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away.

They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free."

I was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds

but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that

we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?

A professor stood before his philosophy class & had some items in front of him.

When the class began wordlessly he picked up a very large empty

mayonnaise jar & 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 in a jar.

He shook the jar tightly 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 content into the jar effectively filled the empty space between the

sand. The students laughed. Now ... said the professor as the laughter

subsided. " I want u to recognize that this jar represents your life . The golf

balls are the important things that matter such as your Family, your children

your health, your friends, your favorite passion, God ... 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, your car. The sand is

everything else the small stuff.


If you put the sand into the jar first " he contineued there is no room for the

pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life

If u 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 Bond with your god take time for medical check ups

take your partner out of dinner. 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 was the coffee

representing ? The professor smiled " I am glad you asked. It just goes to show

you that no matter how full your life may seem there is always room for a

couple of cups of coffee with a friend "