The flower-pot and the beer (standard:other, 470 words)
Author: Bionicboy	Added: Jul 31 2004	Views/Reads: 4229/2	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
This short story is dedicated to all people who value the bright side of life. It's the Equation of Life. Note: I declare that I am NOT the original author of that story. It is a German story that was published several times on the Internet and that wa

When things in your daily life get worse, when 24 hours a day are not
enough, always think of the "Flower-pot and the Beer". 

A professor stood in front of his philosophy-class and had some things
with him. When the lesson started, he took a very large flower-pot out 
of his bag and began to fill it up with golf balls. He asked his 
students whether the pot was filled now. They affirmed. 

Then the professor took a bowl with pebbles and put them into the
flower-pot. He rocked the pot smoothly so that the pebbles would slide 
into the gaps between the golf balls. Again he asked his students 
whether the pot was filled or not. They affirmed. 

Next, the professor took a can with sand in it out of his bag and put it
into the flower pot. Of course the sand filled even the smallest 
remaining gaps. Once more he asked whether the pot was filled. The 
students replied in unison: "Yes, the pot is filled." 

Then the professor took two cans of beer from under the table and poured
their whole content into the pot by which he filled the last tiny gaps 
between the grains of sand. His students started laughing. 

"Well", the professor said when the laughter decreased, "I would like
you to see this flower-pot as a representation of your lifes. Those 
golf balls are the most important issues of your lifes: your families, 
your children, your health, your friends - in short: all the preferred 
and passionate aspects of your lifes. Aspects that would still complete 
your lifes when everything was lost. The pebbles stand for those other 
things in life, such as your jobs, your houses and cars. The sand 
symbolizes all the minor things." And he added: "When you put the sand 
into the pot first, then there is no more room for the pebbles nor the 
golf balls. The same is true with your lifes. When you spend your time 
and energy on all the minor things that life may hold, then you will 
never have a place for important issues. Watch out for everything that 
threats your felicity. Play with your children. Use your spare time for 
a medical check-up. Take your partner to a nice restaurant. There will 
always be some time left to clean up the house or deal with one's 
duties. Always take care of the golf balls, the really important 
things. Set your priorities. The rest is only tiny grains of sand." 

One of the students raised his hand to ask what the beer stood for. The
professor grinned: "I am glad that you asked that question. The beer is 
there to show you that, no matter how difficult your lifes may be, 
there is always room for one or two bottles of beer."


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