Carrots, eggs & coffee

here's a little motivational story.. keep your chin up.

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee....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 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.

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 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 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 a long 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.

May we all be coffee!!!!!

=)

~Stacy

Replies

  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    Thanks - I needed that today.
  • I needed this today! Usually I think these are silly, but RIGHT ON.
  • Liked this a lot. Thanks for posting!
  • I am posting this via Facebook! :)
  • felicia8604
    felicia8604 Posts: 274 Member
    great post! it makes you really think about who you are and who you want to be! i like to think i am coffee!
  • TheGoktor
    TheGoktor Posts: 1,138 Member
    Definitely a coffee bean - always have been (if you'll forgive the pun)!

    I once heard a similar thing;

    A woman is like a teabag - you never know how strong she is until she's in hot water.

    :bigsmile:
  • luvgreen25
    luvgreen25 Posts: 202
    Loved this. Thanks for posting.
  • Stacera
    Stacera Posts: 347 Member
    YAY! Glad so many of you have enjoyed this, I felt that on a Monday morning everyone could use a little pick-me-up and something to not make them want to bury their head in their arms.

    Coffee bean all the way!!!

    Have a wonderful week!!!
  • kennethmgreen
    kennethmgreen Posts: 1,759 Member
    This was good. Thanks for posting it.
  • cmarie20
    cmarie20 Posts: 7 Member
    i am a carrot working on being a coffee bean :) thanks for the pick me up i really needed that !