The Empty Jar And 2 Cups of Coffee

When things in your life seem, Almost too much to handle, When 24 Hours in a day is not enough,
Remember the story of the empty jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty 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 - God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions – 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, house, and 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.

So...

Pay attention to the things That are critical to your happiness.
Play With your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.

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 cup of coffee with a friend.

Read your cheque

Many of us frequently use chequebooks to pay for all kinds of things. But do you know how to read a cheque beyond those first six digits, known as the cheque number? What do other numbers on the cheque say and how do they help the banking industry facilitate the processing of cheques? Here is a lowdown on chequebook and some banking jargon:

First six-digit block: It is common wisdom that the first six digits on your cheque are your cheque number. It is important to note the number because if your cheque gets lost or the money has not been credited, you can know the status of the cheque by providing the cheque number.

Magnetic ink character recognition

Magnetic ink character recognition or MICR comprises nine digits, which are further sub-divided as city, bank and branch code. It works the same way as your home or office address, enabling your snail mail to reach you from far-flung places. But unlike your addresses, the banking address is all numerical, where:

1.City code:The first three digits specify the city in which you have a bank account.

2.Bank code:The next three digits of MICR specify your bank in thatparticular city.

3.Branch code: The last three digits of MICR help in figuring out the specific branch of the specific bank.

The nine-digit code is called MICR because it is printed with magnetic ink, which is usually made of iron oxide. Magnetic ink is used so that numbers are readable even if it is stamped over.

4.A/c with RBI: The third numeral block represents your account number maintained by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The number helps in cheque processing when it goes to RBI for clearance.

5.Transaction code: The last two digits at the bottom of the cheque help in decoding whether the cheque is current or a saving account cheque. MICR also tells whether the cheque is at par. It helps in processing an intra-city cheque as a local one with a faster turnaround time.

6.Drawee/paying bank: A bank making the payment.

7.Payee: The beneficiary to whom the drawer issues the cheque.

8.Drawer:A person writing the cheque.

Inward clearing:It is important to be aware of the concept because the type of clearing affects the speed of transaction. Inward clearing is for the bank that issues the cheque.

Outward clearing:Outward clearing is for the bank in whose name the cheque has been issued. The inward and outward clearing bank can be same if the bank that issues and the bank in whose name the cheque has been issued are the same.

Source: http://www.livemint.com