The Mayonnaise Jar and The Two Beers

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 Beers.

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 Beers 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---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 like 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.

Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. 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'm glad you asked.' The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.

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Anger

Once upon a time there was a little boy who was talented, creative, handsome, and extremely bright. A natural leader. The kind of person everyone would normally have wanted on their team or project. 

But he was also self-centered and had a very bad temper. When he got angry, he usually said, and often did,
some very hurtful things. In fact, he seemed to have little regard for those around him.  Even friends. So, naturally, he had few. “But,” he told himself, “that just shows how stupid most people are!”

As he grew, his parents became concerned about this personality flaw, and pondered long and hard about what they should do.

Finally, the father had an idea. And he struck a bargain with his son. He gave him a bag of nails, and a BIG hammer. “Whenever you lose your temper,” he told the boy, “I want you to really let it out. Just take a nail and drive it into the oak boards of that old fence out back. Hit that nail as hard as you can!”

Of course, those weathered oak boards in that old fence were almost as tough as iron, and the hammer was mighty heavy, so it wasn't nearly as easy as it first sounded. 

Nevertheless, by the end of the first day, the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence (That was one angry young man!). Gradually, over a period of weeks, the number dwindled down. Holding his temper proved to be easier
than driving nails into the fence!

Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He felt mighty proud as he told his parents about that accomplishment. “As a sign of your success,” his father responded, “you get to PULL OUT one nail. In fact, you can do that each day that you don’t lose your temper even once.”

Well, many weeks passed. Finally one day the young boy was able to report proudly that all the nails were gone.

At that point, the father asked his son to walk out back with him and take one more good look at the fence. “You have done well, my son,” he said. “But I want you to notice the holes that are left. No matter what happens from now on, this fence will never be the same. Saying or doing hurtful things in anger produces the same kind of result. 

There will always be a scar. It won’t matter how many times you say you’re sorry, or how many years pass,
the scar will still be there. And a verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. People are much more valuable than an old fence. They make us smile. They help us succeed. Some will even become friends who share our joys, and
support us through bad times.

And, if they trust us, they will also open their hearts to us. That means we need to treat everyone
with love and respect. 

We need to prevent as many of those scars as we can.”

A most valuable lesson, don’t you think? And a reminder most of us need from time to time. Everyone
gets angry occasionally. The real test is what we DO with it.

If we are wise, we will spend our time building bridges rather than barriers in our relationships



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The Rose

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned round to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.

She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?”

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant squeeze.

“Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked.

She jokingly replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids…”

“No seriously,” I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!” she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this “time machine” as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went.

She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up. At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I’ll never forget what she taught us. 

She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, “I’m sorry I’m so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I’ll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.”

As we laughed, she cleared her throat and began, “We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.

There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it!

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.

If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.

Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets.

The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.” She concluded her speech by courageously singing “The Rose.”

She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year’s end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

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Only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is

Once upon a time there was an island where all the feelings lived; happiness, sadness, knowledge, and all the others, including love.

One day it was announced to all the feelings that the island was going to sink to the bottom of the ocean. Hence, all the feelings prepared their boats to leave. Love was the only one that stayed. She wanted to preserve the island paradise until the last possible moment. When the island was almost totally under, Love decided it was time to leave. She began looking for someone to ask for help.

Just then Richness was passing by in a grand boat. Love asked, "Richness, Can I come with you on your boat?"

Richness answered, "I'm sorry, but there is a lot of silver and gold on my boat and there would be no room for you anywhere."

Then Love decided to ask Vanity for help who was passing in a beautiful vessel.

Love cried out, "Vanity, help me please."

"I can't help you", Vanity said, "You are all wet and will damage my beautiful boat."

Next, Love saw Sadness passing by.

Love said, "Sadness, please let me go with you."

Sadness answered, "Love, I'm sorry, but, I just need to be alone now."

Then, Love saw Happiness.

Love cried out, " Happiness, please take me with you."

But Happiness was so overjoyed that he didn't hear Love calling to him. Love began to cry.

Then, she heard a voice say, "Come Love, I will take you with me."

It was an elder. Love felt so blessed and overjoyed that she forgot to ask the elder his name. When they arrived on land the elder went on his way. Love realized how much she owed the elder.

Love then found Knowledge and asked, "Who was it that helped me?"

"It was Time", Knowledge answered.

"But why did Time help me when no one else would?", Love asked.

Knowledge smiled and with deep wisdom and sincerity, answered,

"Because only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is."

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The carrots, eggs and coffee

A Very good story to Ponder :)

There was once a devout mother who went through a deep trial. One by one, trials slowly crush her faith to the point of rebellion. First, her husband and children died from a vehicular accident, she was the only survivor. But what would life be when all your love ones are gone? With this, she felt so depressed that her business started having problems and she end up with a huge debt. All this happened in a very short time. She has nothing.

She can not understand why she went through trials so much. She has been a good person and serves the Lord. She is active in a lot of church activities and volunteer work. She obeyed the Ten Commandments and helps those in need. And yet, why all these trials and tribulations?

With all her sufferings, she went to church and confronts the Lord. She screamed at the top of her lungs to ask the Lord: “Why?”  The people in the church thought she was crazy, for she was acting like one. She appears to be so lost and distraught and just keep walking without a direction. All the time, asking why…

Her feet lead her to her mom’s house. Immediately, she went in the house and upon seeing her mother, knelt down and cried like a baby.

Woman: Mother! My mother! Please help me! God sent some trials and tribulations into my life.

The mother looked at her as she was pleading and remained silently still.

Woman: I do not know what to do, mother. I have been a good servant of the Lord. I did everything to give glory to God in the highest! How could this happen to me? I do not know if I can still continue to serve the Lord with all these trials in my life.

Woman: Mother, have mercy on me. Please help me.

Mother: Go fetch me three pots, pour some water and put them on the woodstove.

Woman: Mother! This is not the time for cooking.

Mother:  Just do what I say.

The daughter obeyed her mom’s instruction despite confuse. She got 3 big pots and put them on top of the woodstove, with fire burning woods like crazy. A few minutes later, all three pots were boiling, boiling, and boiling…

Woman: Mother, the water’s boiling.

The mother glance at the boiling water, walk away and came back with carrots, eggs and coffee.

Into the first pot she dropped all carrots. She came to the second pot and gently put the eggs into it. The third pot is where the coffee goes. A few minutes later, the water began to boil for the second time.

Woman: Mother, I do not understand why are we doing this?

Mother: Come closer to the first pot and tell me what do you see?

Woman: I see carrots that became very soft from boiling, almost mushy and are easy to crush.

Mother: What about the second pot?

Woman: I see eggs. The liquid form inside turned into hard and solid after subjected to boiling.

Mother: What about the third pot?

As the woman move closer to the third pot, she stopped and enjoyed the aroma of the coffee, so inviting. Mmmmmmm…

Woman: Mother, it smells so good!

The mother smiled and hugs her with love.

Mother: My dear, the boiling is likened to the trials in our life. God spread some trials as we desire to get closer to Him. This is to test our faith. How far can we get closer to Him is how much trial we can endure to prove that we are worth His love.

Woman: Mother, what about the carrots, eggs and coffee represents?

Mother: The carrots, eggs and coffee represent the three kinds of hearts for the people who served God. These people who went through trials like you did. 

The carrot represents those people who went through trials in life and lost their faith. If you noticed, the carrots have a firm shape before boiling. The boiling represents the trials. The boiled carrots became soft, mushy and most importantly, lost its shape. These are the kind of people who let trials change their faith in the Lord. They get discouraged easily and lose their hope in the Lord.

The eggs characterize those people who serve the Lord on a short run. They overcome a few trials and as life get tougher, their hearts become harder. Soon, they would believe that they can do it on their own and without God’s help. They end up not wanting to serve the Lord in the end because they become proud and arrogant.

Woman: What about the coffee?

Mother: These are for those people who accept any trial in life with faith in the Lord. That despite of trials, they keep going and believing. They don’t become soft like the carrots and hard like the eggs. The coffee remains as is and spreads aroma to everyone near. These are the people who never lose their sight of God, even if trials after trials try to break them apart. These are the people who remain faithful to God’s love no matter what life brings.

My dear, I believe that your heart represents the coffee. That after all these trials, you continue serving the Lord with all your might, your strength, and with all your love. You will be a shining example to everyone. You will spread the coffee’s aroma through your continued service to the Lord to lead people closer to God. That amidst all trials; you go on to give thanks to the Lord for making you stronger everyday. God’s love is abundant, enjoy!

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The fruit of SILENCE is Prayer 

The fruit of PRAYER is Faith 

The fruit of FAITH is Love 

The fruit of LOVE is Service 

The fruit of SERVICE is Peace