A Carrot, An Egg and a Cup of Coffee

If Today Was Your Last Day - Nickelback

It's been a rough week. It never seems to be just one big thing that turns the tide but a lot of little things that just become over-whelming. The fear and self-deprecating soon follow. I know the pattern, I just need to know how to stop the progression. Ironically, a news segment just today spoke of escaping the pain with the use of illegal drugs. I don't believe that will be the particular path I will travel, but I can certainly see the logic in choosing it. By the way, if your rough week consisted of burnt toast and a lousy commute to work...I'll trade you anytime...even for just a week. Rain or shine I guarantee you saw some brightness in your days.  

For those who are looking for something new I thought I would share this tidbit of wisdom for you to ponder.

"A Carrot, an Egg and a Cup of Coffee"
{A folklore tale of wisdom}

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 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.