The Mayonnaise Jar and Two Cups of Coffee

Posted on November 23, 2007
Filed Under Choices, Inspiration, Lifestyle | Leave a Comment

I can’t remember where I first read this story, but as we’re at that time of year for being thankful, and fast approaching Christmas with its own reminders to stop and smell the roses, I thought it would be a good time to post this….

When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

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 an 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–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. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your  spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. 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.” continue reading….

How Airport TSA Rules Affect Brand Loyalty

Posted on November 18, 2007
Filed Under Economy, Travel | Leave a Comment

For those who may not have attempted airline travel recently, this has to do with the ever-changing rules foisted on travelers by the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA). Specifically the requirements regarding personal care items that may not be included in carry-on luggage.   

As of this writing you can’t bring aboard any liquids, gels or aerosols in containers larger than 3 oz. Furthermore, all these type items must be inside a single 1 qt. Ziploc bag. They cleverly call this the 3-1-1 rule.

airpost securityNow as a frequent traveler, I learned years ago to never check luggage, so along with millions of others, I’m affected by these security rules. That means having to find replacements for most toiletries. Some items you can pour into smaller containers, but that doesn’t really work so good for things like toothpaste, deodorant, or shaving foam.

So after perusing the travel-sized products section in the local stores, I found some that were acceptable substitutes, even though not my brand in all cases.

One of the really annoying things, (besides having to jack with doing this in the first place), is that the small sizes have to be replaced often, and the relative cost is ridiculous compared to larger economy sizes. continue reading….

Quitting Smoking Again – Day 20: Making Money

Posted on November 15, 2007
Filed Under Healthy Living, Quit Smoking, Saving Money | Leave a Comment

Pushing right up against the big 3 week hurdle – it happens tomorrow. According to many stop smoking programs,  reaching this point is significant for all sorts of reasons. It’s like if you make it this far, there’s no turning back.

For me, it’s like every day is a milestone. For sure that’s the case during early days. Recalling past attempts, I can remember milestones at the 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, 21, and 30 day, plus the 2, 3, and 6 month points.

The reality is that each day builds on the last, and what seems to happen is confidence increases each day. It’s sort of a double whammy, where in addition to gaining a days confidence, there’s also another days distance from that last smoke which associates a greater sense of failure with the idea of giving in. 

stop smokingSomething I reminded myself of again was the money-saving aspect of quitting. With the ever-increasing “sin” taxes assessed on things like cigarettes, it’s getting considerably more expensive to indulge the habit.

At an average of a pack a day, at approximately $4 per pack, I was spending around $1460 per year for the privilege of killing myself. Well now that $1460 is “found” money. It’s like getting a pay raise because at the end of the day, it’s not how much you make, but how much you keep.

The icing on the cake is I will not smoke 7,300 cigarettes next year, and the year after that, and the year after that, and the year after that, and…..

Something not so fun to calculate was that during my lifetime, I’ve already smoked nearly 300,000 cigarettes. And I did it one cigarette at a time.

For me, a big part of quitting is reversing that – by not smoking one at a time. Every day I don’t smoke, I don’t smoke about 20 cigarettes.

If you read my first post about this quit smoking journey, you’ll note that the success I’m having so far, immediately followed a failed attempt 2 weeks earlier that lasted only a day and a half.

But for anyone trying to quit this habit, any start is a good start. The only way to fail for sure is to stop trying. The silver lining of those two weeks is that I smoked significantly less.

I actually tracked it by day during the first week and though I ended up back at a pack a day by week 2, I stayed between a quarter, to a half pack during week one.

In fact, instead of smoking 140 cigarettes during that week, I smoked about 50, which means I didn’t smoke 90. That’s 4 ½ packs, or to put a financial spin on it, a rough savings of $18.

That may not sound like much, but that “failed” attempt curtailed the habit by almost two-thirds. I keep reminding myself, I didn’t smoke 300,000 cigarettes all at once, but one at a time.

Next quit smoking post: Week 6
Previous quit smoking post: Day 6 

Miss Humbug & the True Spirit of Christmas

Posted on November 11, 2007
Filed Under A to Z, Faith | Leave a Comment

The following intro by the author really resonated with me. So much so, I was inspired to read the story. I highly recommend you do the same.

“Are you tired of seeing “X” taking the place of Christ in Christmas?” Has your child’s Christmas program become a “Winter Solstice Celebration?” Or perhaps you’re tired of looking at “Holiday Trees.” If so, then here’s something fun you’ll enjoy. This romantic little novel will fill you with the true meaning of Christmas.”

Free Copy of Miss Humbug!

It’s Christmastime. Cold, competitive Elaina Houston would rather work than celebrate. Not only is Christmas a complete waste of time and money in her opinion, but also it brings with it haunting memories that drive Elaina further into her frigid shell. Work is the only answer, but she’s surrounded by coworkers who bask in the holiday glow, constantly reminding her of painful memories from Christmases gone by.

Then one night, a week before Christmas, her past comes back to haunt her, and she’s given an ultimatum. Either she learns the Spirit of Christmas or she won’t live to see another December 25th. Can Elaina experience a change of heart before she runs out of time?

Find Out! Download your FREE Copy of the ebook “Miss Humbug” by Marnie L. Pehrson by filling out the form below:

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Quitting Smoking Again – Day 6: On my own

Posted on November 1, 2007
Filed Under Faith, Healthy Living, Quit Smoking | 1 Comment

Okay it’s almost been a week. I can’t say I don’t think about having a smoke, because truth is I think of it a lot. But I believe that’s because its been such an ingrained part of life for so long, that it’s going to take quite some time before it starts receding in conscious thought.

However, it’s interesting that even though I think a lot about smoking, I don’t feel driven to fall off the wagon. Days 3 and 4 were the hardest so far – nothing insurmountable, but did feel a pang or two that a smoke sure would’ve cured fast.

quit smokingThere’s been a few times where I found it useful to pull out the book again and re-read certain parts. Have to admit that changing your thinking makes a significant difference. Smoking really is a weird kind of addiction where it’s the mental, not the physical that turns out to be where the battle plays out. 

By the way, for those who may be interested, I’m not using any “stop smoking aids”, but it seemed to only make sense to get as much going for me as possible. Since it worked so well that one time in the past, I have definitely kept praying for any divine help along the way. 

It’s sort of funny, but this time I get the sense I’m on my own in that regard. What I mean is it’s like the good Lord’s saying “I made it too easy that time – you successfully quit, but chose to start again”. Must admit He’s right. This time I get the sense He’s there and supportive, but I’ve got to do the work.

Admittedly, there’s a lot of truth to the saying that “we often don’t appreciate what comes too easy”.

Next goal is the 3 week mark – that’s supposed to be a significant one.

Next quit smoking post: Day 20
Previous quit smoking post: Day 1

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