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A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee
(we all fall into one of these categories)
You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life
and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she
was going to make it and wanted to give up She was tired of
fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a
new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with
water and placed each on high heat. Soon the pots came to boil.
In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs,
and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them
sit and boil; without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners She fished
the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs
out and placed them in a bowl.
Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning
to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the
carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then
asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling
off the shell, she observed the hardboiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The
daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then
asked, "What does it mean, mother?"
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the
same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The
carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after
being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became
weak. The egg had been fragile Its thin outer shell had
protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the
boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee
beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling
water, they had changed the water.
"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks
on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a
coffee bean?
Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong,
but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose
my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes
with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a breakup,
a financial hardship or some other trial, have I be come
hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the
inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened
heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot
water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the
water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you
are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get
better and change the situation around you. When the hour is
the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate
yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you
a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials
to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough
hope to make you happy.
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of
everything; they just make the most of everything that comes
along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a
forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go
of your past failures and heartaches.
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was
smiling.
Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and
everyone around you is crying.
May we all be coffee!
Thanks to Norah
Albert for this
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