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 lemonade.

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, empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf *****. 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 into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf *****. 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 a glass of lemonade 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 ***** are the important things-your faith, your family, your children, your health, your friends, 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, 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 *****. 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 your loved one out to dinner. Play with your children. Fellowship with those who share your faith. Take time to get medical check-ups. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf ***** first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

Then the class spoke up and asked, "What about the lemonade? What does that represent?"

The professor said, "When life isn't going just the way you planned it and it starts throwing lemons your way.....make some lemonade and enjoy what you can of it!"