When life overwhelms us, when our mind is a whirlwind of thoughts and we are afraid to go under, it is important to refocus on what is truly important and dear to us. The story of the “Jar of Life” tells us that even if our life feels full, there is always room for an evening with friends or family.
Why stories are important
When life gets tough a simple, well told story or metaphor can help us look at a situation with new eyes. The distilled essence how a character in a story copes with the challenges of life can teach us an important lesson. For a short moment a story helps to quiet our mind, which allows us to take a deep breath and regain some serenity. In this sense a good, powerful story can act as a wise, compassionate guide.
I hope you enjoy the story of the “Jar of Life”. May it help you in a difficult situation.
The Jar of Life
A philosophy 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.
He then proceeded to fill the jar with golf balls.
“Is the jar full?” he asked his students. “Yes,” everyone responded.
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 areas between the golf balls.
“Is the jar full?” he asked again.The students responded with an unanimous: “Yes.”
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course the sand filled up all the space left.
He asked once more: “Is the jar full?”. “Yes, of course,” everyone responded.
The professor then produced two beers from under the table and poured the entire content into the jar, filling the empty space between the sand.
Everyone laughed.
“Now,” the professor said as the laughter subsided. “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things. Your family, your children, health, friends and favorite passions. 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 or 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 critical to your happiness.
Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit your grandparents. Take your spouse out for dinner. Go out with your friends. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn.
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 beer represented. The professor smiled and said: “I am glad you asked. The beer just shows that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of beers with a friend.”
– Author unknown
Namaste.
P.S. While trying to find the author of this story I stumbled over many articles and videos using the metaphor of the jar. Stephen Covey uses the “rocks first” metaphor in his book First things first. Maybe he was the original author of the story, probably he picked it up somewhere and by retelling it participated in keeping this priceless wisdom alive.
P.S.S. If you liked this story you might enjoy the Balanced Action book. It contains this story and many others. Buy it today.
Balanced Action 
Nice story.I like your drawing.
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Reblogged this on sanctuary5014 and commented:
This is a reblog from balanced action.me. I’ve heard this story before but never told this well. This is a great reminder to focus on what’s important. Enjoy!
We take those around us for granted far too often, especially when we have busy lives. I think many people would be surprised in how their family members will always be there to fall back on, even when we have not treated them as a priority.
Yes. We sometimes are so busy, due to all the pressures of our lives, that we forget to take a break and connect to friends and family.
Really nice story! Simple and with a powerful point.
Thank you. Motivates me to work on more stories.
Really like that post, and drawing
So interesting….
Glad you liked it 🙂
What a wonderful story
Thank you!
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I LOVE it! So much perspective. A profound reminder that life is full, it’s just a matter of what we choose to fill it with. It’s also a relief to understand that just because we don’t have everything, doesn’t mean we don’t have anything. Life is full, even if we only have the golf balls: the essentials.
Thanks for this lovely post.
Thank you. I agree. Our lives have so much to offer, if we find that space in our mind to let it in.
Love it! A friend told me I juggle many cups and I worry about the ones that wobble or that I occasionally have to put down as they become too heavy. I think it’s the same, as long as the important ones are carried close and all with care.
Glad you loved the story. Worrying is a sign that you care. Which is great! Just don’t forget to look after yourself, so you can keep juggling all those cups.
Great advice thanks it took me a long time to realise I have to be number one 😊
Loved the simplicity of story and how we tend to ignore this small calculations of life!
Nice drawings , WOW , it made me think a lot differently 🙂 🙂
Thank you 🙂
That had such a beautiful meaning
When I read the story the first time I thought: Wow, I want to illustrate it. Glad you liked it.
Reblogged this on AVOLOVERS.
Thank you for reblogging 🙂
I love this, I heard it for the first time a few months ago and I kinda never forgot about it and I just keep trying living by it
I try to do the same thing :). Sometimes, there doesn’t seem to enough time to take a break or call a friend. But if fact there always is, if we can reset our priorities. Not always so easy.
“It is a good thing to be rich, and it is a good thing to be strong, but it is a better thing to be loved of many friends. ”
Euripides
Great quote. Connection is so important.
Love it😊
Beautiful!
kontol good
Such a positive outlook towards life, nice story 👌
Thank you 🙂
I like the story; such a deep message with simple illustration. Life is full of struggle and sometimes we forget what is important to us. And I must say your drawings are amazing. I recently started blogging so this is really inspiring for me.
Glad you enjoyed the story. Good luck with your writing and drawing.
Thank you, I hope I would get future inspiration from your blog’s. 🙂
I like it ^•^
Reblogged this on dawnblogtopus and commented:
Awesome article about having a full life with family and friends.
Thank you for reblogging
I loved the message behind your post..
and also the way the professor conveys his message
Yes, it would be so nice to see more professors like the one in the story. People who realize that school is there to learn about mathematics & life.
Its beautifully drawn +1
Nice story..
I love the way you have the point of view of yours toward the life.
And yes nice drawing too.
Thank you. I always try to smile at life, hoping that it will smile back at me 🙂
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Reblogged this on Surrealistic Vithika.
wonderfully expressed, those lines would always be in my mind while scheduling my priorities. Thanks a lot. 🙂
🙂 Thank you for your kind feedback.
Thank you for reblogging
Thank you. So much for sharing the story…its really beautiful..and meaningful.:-) keep it up
Thank you!
Best!
Covered a lot of points and issues.
Thanks!
Hi Philipp I’m from Mexico, I like to much your post and I would like to copy and translate it to spanish just like you post it, It’s possible? do you have any problem that I do that?
Hi Obed, I’m from Switzerland but my mom is Mexican :). Go ahead and translate it. Great idea. Let me know when you post it. It would be great if you could link back to the original post.
Hi Philipp I made my post and link back to your original post, nice to know that you are half mexican. Have you been in Mexico before?
Yes, many times. I grew up speaking Mexican and whenever we had saved enough money, we would spend our summer holidays in Mexico.
I have this saved on my phone from a link on twitter a few years ago and it’s sent goosebumps over me because it defines the reality of life and we stumble over the things that matter,that is life in a nutshell right there..great post..
I also love the metaphor of the jar. How it shows that our energy to do things, to connect to people, is limited and that the more things we have going in our lives, the more important it becomes to learn how to find space to simply be.
Hey there, this is a great post. Im in high school and i constantly feel like there is no time for family with the hours of homework I spend doing instead. I agree, that it is important to remember what the important aspects are in life, after all they are the ones that affect us the most! This post was just a little something for me to realize to show my love to the family every moment I get. Thats still important!
Wish you all the best at school! I remember the times doing homework, barely making it. For me the most difficult part was sometimes the whole social environment. To create meaningful connections to people I truly liked to hang out with and have beers.
I 100% agree, for me its more HOW to exactly make these connections especially because I just moved schools and my perspective of a lot of aspects of life are completely different in this society.
The question HOW to make connections is very difficult to answer. We often think connection means ‘fitting in’, being part of that group that is having fun. To me ‘connection’ is anything that helps you feel grounded, alive. This could be sports, or music or anything else. And yes, probably the coolest connection is the one where another human being ‘gets you’. Probably the first step towards another human being is to try to ‘fit in’. I’m not saying you should ever give up what you believe in. I’m simply saying that the other person is probably playing a social role, to not be alone. By ‘playing that role’ a first contact is possible. And maybe, after some time, the other person will open up and reveal his/her true nature.
So true and the beers too. LOL
I think the beers give the story an unexpected, humorous ending. Without the beers the most important message of the story would get lost: The power of laughter and company.
I have read it before.Many times.But,this story never fails to fascinate me!
I also love the story. Have a great day.
This article is really mind opening. Everybody running behind job and money should read this article. I did shared this article in my FB page /mbsaravana. Keep it up!
Thank you for sharing the article 🙂
But I think the real problems is when people don’t realise when they’re giving the sand the priority. Ask anyone, they say family first. If they actually, keep to it, is another thing altogether. Nice Job btw 🙂
You bring up a good point. We often try to squeeze more and more into our lives, forgetting what truly matters.
I love how this turned up on my “discover” page almost 5 years after being posted… the gift that keeps on giving. Great read
So true. I wrote this so long ago and now it showed up on the discover page. 5 years seem like a long time. And yet, when I look at the drawings it still feels as if I worked on the story yesterday.
Great drawings. Thank you so much. Just started with my blog…..
Good luck with your writing. I started 5 years ago. What I like most about it is, that with every article I write I learn a little bit more about myself and the world. But most important, through it I can connect to readers around the world.
Yes, wonderfully said 😌
It’s really all about the balance, isn’t it?
Yes, it is. It’s important to find ones own balance. People might say: Don’t do this, do that! They might even be trying to help you. In the end only you feel what is good for you. Trust in your own balance :).
This is sooooo cool and accurate! Thank you so much! This was exactly what I needed to remember today! 💜
Go out and meet your friends 🙂
Wonderfully Written Philipp. 🌞
Thank you.
Love it 🙂 this is a very important lesson and a smart + simple metaphor.
Thank you.
I always loved this metaphor. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Reblogged this on Peachng.
Thank you for reblogging:)
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That story, your work was awesome. Loved it. Well phrased, simple and easy for the reader
Thank you 🙂
Simplicity… Vividly… Creativity… All defined in-here.
Thank you. I like to read children’s books to learn how to tell simply yet powerful stories.