I thought I would share this... it's a great analogy!
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 just tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as though as soon 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 a high fire. 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. After about 20 minutes she turned off the burners.
Her mother fished out the carrots and placed them in a bowl. She pulled out the eggs and placed them in a bowl. Then, she ladled out the coffee and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see." Her daughter replied, "Carrots, eggs, and coffee."
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. Her daughter did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked her 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 was fragile but its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. However, the ground coffee beans were unique. 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, 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 breakup, 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 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 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.
Peace! (I hope you all got the message. It was deeper than just coffee.)
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. 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. After about 20 minutes she turned off the burners.
Her mother fished out the carrots and placed them in a bowl. She pulled out the eggs and placed them in a bowl. Then, she ladled out the coffee and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see." Her daughter replied, "Carrots, eggs, and coffee."
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. Her daughter did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked her 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 was fragile but its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. However, the ground coffee beans were unique. 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, 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 breakup, 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 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 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.
Peace! (I hope you all got the message. It was deeper than just coffee.)
4 comments:
A well told story that makes a sharp point. We all could benefit from a little "brewing." Perhaps then we'd recognize where our help comes from in the midst of the boiling. We have a "very present help!"
Love you!
Very lovely analogy and it forced me to think of how I am in life
Thanks Keith
Keith, i loved the message, and it really made me think about who exactly i am at this point in life...but i can tell you, i have been carrots, and yes even an egg, but i hope from now on i will be as the Coffee Bean. Thanks for this great message.
Great message Keith, and I agree with Miz. I have been the carrot, and the egg. But I hope I can be the coffee beans from this point on in my life.
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