This is so inspiring I wanted to share it with you all. It's long, but worth the read!

Carrot, Egg and Coffee

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.' 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 hard boiled 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 death, a break-up, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become 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 flavour. 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?

Dogscribe,

Great story! After I read it, I tried to figure out which one I am...the carrot, the egg, or the coffee bean. I can't decide, I guess it depends on the situation.

Lanchas

Yes that is a great story!  I think I fluctuate between all 3 though and would like to just be the coffee bean.  Hmmm, perhaps the Starbucks I'm hooked on lately will help.  haha 

Thank you again for sharing... every time I drink my coffee, I will remain focused on becoming that person I want to be in comparison to a coffee bean.  :)))  I just wish I could have been that person with my ex a.  :(  Instead, I was more the carrot and egg fluctuating. 

Beautiful!  I loved the story!

Hello dogscribe,

I sure enjoyed reading this! I love to picture things in my mind. I am not sure what I am. I think it depends on the situation too. I do know that I do try to make lemonaide out of lemons though. your friend cdb :)