by Katie Patrick
If any of you has ever seen the video of the professor who walks into the classroom with a Mason jar and a bag of golf balls, you know what I’m talking about. For those of you who haven’t, imagine this.
The bell rings and a professor walks into the classroom, followed by a few stragglers. Once everyone takes a seat, the professor sets an empty Mason jar on the desk in front of them. He then takes out a handful of golf balls and drops them into the Mason jar. When the golf balls reach the top of the Mason jar, the professor stops and turns to his students asking, “is the jar full?” They look around and some nod yes, while others are unsure.
The professor then pulls out a bag of pebbles and pours it into the jar. The pebbles fall between the crevices of the golf balls and, like the golf balls, reach the top of the Mason jar. The professor turns to the students again and asks, “is the jar full?”
Most students agree that the Mason jar with both the golf balls and pebbles is now full – until the professor takes out another bag; this one is full of sand. The professor pours the sand into the jar.
At this point, the students are looking around the classroom before unanimously agreeing that the Mason jar is indeed full.
The professor smiles, reaches into another bag and pulls out a couple bottles of beer, one of which he pours into the Mason jar. The students laugh and the professor leans in and explains the lesson.
He says, “Now I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—your family, your friends, your health and your passions. The pebbles the other important things—your car, your job and your home. The sand is everything else, it’s just the small stuff.
“Now, if you put the sand in the jar first, you won’t have room for the golf balls or the pebbles, the same is true in life. If you spend all your energy and your time on the small stuff, you won’t have time for all the really important things that matter to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Take care of the golf balls first, the really important things and set your priorities because everything else is just sand.”
A student then asks, “Professor, what do the beers represent?”
The professor responds, “I’m glad you asked that. It goes to show that no matter how full your life may seem to be, there is always room for a couple beers with a friend.”
Summer is a good time to slow down and reflect on our priorities. Are we spending too much time on all the small stuff? Are we letting the small, unimportant things drive us and our happiness? Or are we prioritizing the golf balls? Are we putting our faith, family, friends and health first? If not, what can we do to get our priorities to align with these gifts God has given us? I’ll pray for each of you as you reflect on these questions.
And since we’re speaking of golf balls and a few good drinks with our friends, I want to invite you all to join us for our annual Memorial Golf Classic and Auction on Friday, Aug. 4, at Hillcrest Country Club. You can register teams on our website at www.csshope.org.
The auction will also be live on HandBid so that you can support the good work of Catholic Social Services from the comfort of your own home. Stay tuned for details on the auction as the date approaches.
Thank you for your prayers and support, and let’s keep each other motivated and accountable to filling our jars with all the important things. May God bless you!
