The Mayonnaise Jar

29 May By

One of my former middle school teachers posted this on Facebook (thanks Mr. Lord!). I just loved it (I’m a big fan of a good metaphor) and thought I’d share it here.

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle,
When 24 Hours in a day is not enough,
Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee…

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 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 cups of coffee 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 – family,
Children, health, Friends, and
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, house, and 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.

So…
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play With your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to 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 the coffee represented.
The professor smiled.
‘I’m glad you asked’.
It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.’

I found this especially poignant after Memorial Day, a time when we remember those who’s lives were cut too short. So, go take care of your golf balls.

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What I Learned Today

22 Jan By
  • Body Pump is awesome – a few years ago I was introduced to Body Pump and started doing it twice a week, but after moving and joining a new gym, I stopped going. Today, I decided to start going again to mix up my workout. I quickly remembered why I used to like it so much. It’s a great way to work your whole body in an hour and the class atmosphere keeps you pushing yourself o the max.
  • Being a sports fan can be heart breaking - I’ve spent almost my whole life in Maryland and I’m a die-hard Orioles and Ravens fan. As a kid, I distinctly remember watching the Orioles lose to the Yankees, in the playoffs, after going wire to wire (meaning they were in first place the entire season). I will never forget that feeling of disappointment. Tonight, the Ravens lost in true tragic fashion to the Patriots and it sucked (for lack of a more eloquent way to put it). Being a fan can be incredibly rewarding, but it can be incredibly tough.
  • Great friends really can pick up right where they left off (even after a long separation) - with such busy lives it isn’t always easy to see friends, but today playoff football was an excuse to get together with two of my favorites. It was wonderful to see them and it felt as if no time had passed since our last hang out.
  • Life comes through in small ways when you need it to - after a busy and restless weekend, capped off with a fun, but long day watching the game (with a few too many beers), the Federal Government has a delayed opening tomorrow!!! Thank you freezing rain, I really needed this one!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

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Growing Up: Lessons from the New Facebook Timeline

6 Jan By

Yes, it’s true. I learned something from Facebook (and it wasn’t just how 400-some of my closest friends spent their New Year’s).  In a little over a  month I will be 28 (no, not ancient, but still crazy for me to think about). Happily, I feel like my life is right where it should be for that milestone. I have a master’s degree, a great job, a wonderful husband and an adorable little dog. Sounds like late-twenties heaven to me. I’m not afraid of getting older. In fact, I have begun to realize that all those cliché things women say about how they are having the “best times of their lives” in their 30′s, 40′s, 50′s, is true (obviously when you get old, like me, some sort of brainwashing occurs). I mean I don’t feel old(er). In many ways I feel and look the same as the 19 or 22-year-old Brie (not nearly as poor and with far less boy drama though!).

Reality check. I got the new timeline on Facebook. It was so strange to go back through the last 7 years of my life that I have logged on that darn site. Wait, seven years??? Yup, Facebook was able to remind me of the exact date I joined as a little 20-year-old Junior in college. Those were the days Facebook became available slowly to each school and was only open to students. I clicked back through each year, first looking at highlights and then delving deeper into month by month recaps. My early twenties broken down for me like a timeline graphic from a history textbook.

Some of it made me cringe, but many times I smiled to myself, laughed out loud and experienced that warm feeling you get when you are reminded of fond memories. Wow. I am not that 19 or 22-year-old Brie. Not just because I make decent money and have the love of an honest and caring guy (they do exist!), but also because I have changed in so many ways. I’m a little more jaded, but I’m a lot more responsible. I’m a little more controlling, but I’m also much more secure. I have more sophisticated (read: expensive) taste, but I no longer wear crocs (thank god). The list goes on…

The thing that really struck me was the people who were constant through it all. My dearest girlfriends and my younger sisters were always there. In each year, and in each month, they cheered me on, helped me cope and were my partners in crime. I appreciate that. I appreciate them (thank you ladies!!). I wouldn’t want to be that 22-year-old Brie now, but I also wouldn’t want to have never been her.  What a crazy journey it’s been (ah nostalgia) and there’s so much more to go. I can’t wait.

Do you have the new timeline? What do you think?

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