Posts Tagged passion
Mayonnaise Jar & 2 Beers
Posted by Antonia Furlong in Tips and Pointers on July 24th, 2009
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 time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
Take care of the golf ball 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.”
Honour Your Calling
Posted by Antonia Furlong in Tips and Pointers on April 17th, 2009
During my lunch breaks I admit I sit down and put on the Oprah Winfrey show. I feel there is always a possibility I will learn something from her or her guests.
She chooses her words very wisely (or at least the person who writes for the teleprompter does!) and I like that about her. The show I caught the other day was her talking to a few people about them living their purpose; finding the real reason we are here living the lives we have.
Like her, I believe we are all put on this earth for a greater reason that just living in a job or at home, driving an okay car and having just enough to pay for the rent or mortgage each month.
There is something deep within each of us that calls us to do something greater than what you are doing right now. Rather than focussing on the immediate; you, your family, your friends, think further afield. Open your mind to what it could be.
Start asking yourself “What is my purpose?”
I know what you may be thinking and that is it’s ridiculous I couldn’t just think something up? There is no way.
You’ll never know what you don’t try. Really start asking what it is you could do with your life that you really passionately believe in, something that could be of value to someone or something other than yourself. You won’t get the answer over night or rather you are very lucky if you do.
For 6 months, my mentor did exactly that – every day for 6 months he asked “What is my purpose?” and one day it felt like it came to him out of the blue.
“To Empower Myself And Others”
I find it remarkable that something like that can literally ‘pop’ into you head. If you truly want to know the answer to the question you ask each day, your subconscious will work on it each day and help you find the answer. It’s just like the names of actors in films that you can never remember the name of. Hours later it will just come from nowhere – bam! you have the actors name you were thinking of.
There was this guest on this particular show telling her story; she was on the New York subway when an idea of ‘Pyjama Program’ came to her. From that moment she started literally a movement to get hold of new pairs of pyjamas for all the children in foster care that she look after; many of these children didn’t even know what pyjamas were!
Listening to that story and all the other guests stories makes me feel that you are capable of ANYTHING when you realise the simplicity your actions you take can make a difference.
What is your vision? Your purpose? Your calling?
Whatever it is you have an obligation to yourself and to those you can help to honour it.
Believe you can do it – you’ll be amazed what you have in your power to change for the better.
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