Drinks with a Friend

I'm sure some of you guys have read this before, but it's refreshing and always something to think about: 

A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items on the table 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 rocks, about 2 inches in diameter.

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, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He then 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, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things – your family, your partner, your health, your children – 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 rocks. The same goes for your 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. Play with your children. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal.

Take care of the rocks 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.'

(Mayonnaise Jar)

 
For me, it's so easy to get caught up with finances. Debt, loans, budgets, and all these interesting blogs! I could easily spend half a day just reading and budgeting just for the fun of it. However, I still have to keep in mind that money isn't everything. Sure, I have to save up. And yes, I do have to repay the government for giving me four years of college education. And yea, I have to plan what to eat this week so I know what to shop for at the groceries today.
But I have to remember to focus on the basics and just keep life simple sometimes. Sure it'd be nice to be debt free in a year or two if I strive for it aggressively, but I don't want to teeter-totter between the fine line of frugal and cheap. Notably, I'd treat my parents out to dinner a few times a month. I'd go out for boba, or coffee too, with the friend I haven't seen since college. I'd bake some treats for my co-workers, or drive many miles to visit my relatives and siblings.

This is all I have of the present, and when I look back in the future, I want to be able to have great memories to tell to others.