Personal Situational Awareness - "The Mayonnaise Jar and Two Cups of Coffee"

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to chat with a nationally-known fire service legend.  How fortunate for me to be one of the two guys with over seventy combined years in the fire service-- just shooting the poop. 

Eventually, the talk turned from how much our management of the emergency scene has changed over the decades our scene management has come over the years- to the importance of situational awareness in general.

Then he reminded me of a well-known story about what he called “personal situational awareness” and how immensely crucial it is for every firefighter to recognize and understand.  It turns out to be a story I have used at every one of my academy’s graduation ceremonies so that each probie could hear it at the same time as their spouses and families.

You may have heard it before, but I thought I would pass it along in case the newer, younger brothers under your care have yet to have the pleasure.  You would do well to ensure they all hear it.

Check it out….

The Mayonnaise Jar and Two Cups of Coffee

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."

Stay stoked!