7.29.2012

A Carrot, An Egg and Cup of Coffee

I hope you'll enjoy reading this heart-warming article sent by a dear friend like I did and savor drinking a cup of coffee liesurely with me.


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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 do 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?

63 comments :

  1. Oh...I love this story!!! With God's help I aspire to be a coffee bean. :)

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  2. Unfortunately, I'm probably an egg, regardless of how much I LOVE coffee! LOL!

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  3. Wow, this is very cool. Depending on the circumstance, I have been a carrot, an egg, or the coffee. Sometimes I am softened and humbled by circumstances, sometimes I am strengthened, and sometimes I'm able to change the surroundings. We have the power to be all three, I think (not at the same time.) Maybe the point is that heat (difficulties) will come, and we need to be flexible in how we respond, looking for the best way to handle things. Very insightful tale. Thank you!

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  4. That's a very wonderful story. I think most of us are carrots, eggs and coffee beans, at difference stages of our development and experiences. Hopefully we learn to become more like coffee beans as we age ;-)

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  5. I know I've become an egg with a cup of coffee. Lovely tale.

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  6. This is a great story lesson. I will pass it on to my friends. I think I am a coffee bean. at least I pray I am.

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  7. I think at different stages in my life, I've been one of those, alternately but I always strive to be the coffee in every situation as much as I can :-)

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  8. I love this story! Sad to say I became an egg when my dad passed away. But now, is it possible to be a coffee bean after being an egg? hahaha!

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  9. Lovely story. I guess I choose to be the coffee bean too. I'm not in a situation where in we're being tested by faith, financial problems and even simple family matters. All in one cup, but I'm a tough one. It don't make me soft like the carrot, and it doesn't make me feel hard as the egg, it makes me feel strong at heart and mind.

    Thanks for sharing. Will be reposting this on my blog and will link you up.

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  10. I love the story. I think I've read it before. To answer the question, I wish I'd be like the coffee bean. I think with the passing of time and by God's grace, I will be.

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  11. I love this story. I think I've read it before. To answer the question, I wish to be a coffee bean. With the passing of time and by the grace of God, I will be.

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  12. This is a very inspiring story. I really need this to think about. I am kinda carrot. I wish I can be a coffee bean.

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  13. thanks for sharing inspiring posts, reading this posts like these kept me optimistic in life. :)
    you are an inspiration too. Stay happy and contented sis!

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  14. will definitely share this post too sis <3 <3 <3
    thanks for sharing!

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  15. I love this tale. So inspiring. I believe I can be all three not at the same time though. I wish I can be a coffee bean all the time.

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  16. I hope when that time comes that I face adversity I'll pass it with flying colors like the coffee bean. HEre's to a stronger us!

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  17. So enjoyed this story! Makes me ponder...

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  18. a nice story. For me, I experienced being a carrot, an egg and a coffee. But at the end of the day, I learned on all of these.

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  19. nice story!
    currently i think i am a carrot...oh, i wish to be bean!

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  20. Only through being tested and emerging triumphant from it can we elevate ourselves. Beautiful story.:)

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  21. Thanks for a good read! Will share this with friends. I hope, I can also be a coffee bean. :)

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  22. I've never heard this story before. Thanks for sharing, and a wonderful way to look at things in perspective :)

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  23. I wanna be the coffee. I will be the coffee. Great story. Inspiring and heartwarming as well.

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  24. thank you so much for sharing. i am in a situation right now and i could use some words of wisdom

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  25. Great post. I read most your your blog posts are inspiring :)

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  26. This is a really great story. Most of us have probably experienced becoming a carrot at first, or even an egg at one point of our lives. However, let's all aspire to be a coffee bean.. :)

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  27. I think I am a coffee bean, which is great because I LOVE coffee! Hahaha! Beautiful story!

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  28. Great story. I dunno who I am in that story. What I am sure is I love coffee. hehe labo no?

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  29. This is a beautiful illustration of the different ways we choose to react to difficult circumstances. I am going to save this for my daughter.

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  30. this is really a great story to reflect on. Like what one commented, we could be a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean depending on the circumstances.

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  31. Nice and inspiring story there especially for me who faces some problems right now in terms of my work. I do hope that I can be like a coffee that will make the situation change and solve the problem that I am encoutering now.
    -daddy Allan (visit from BC Blogger)

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  32. Honestly, I think I'm an egg :/
    I'm not really strong to begin with so when it gets tough I become jaded.
    I still can't let go of the anger in my heart. *sigh*

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  33. inspiring! =) we should be like the coffee bean! :)

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    1. i wish i could also be the coffee bean. very inspiring.

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  34. this is an inspiring story indeed!

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  35. I'm ashamed to admit it but I'm an egg. :( Hardened by everything that I have gone through these past five years. I do hope I learn how to be a coffee bean instead.

    Thanks for sharing this inspiring story!

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  36. A story that full of meaning. Thanks for sharing this is really a good to story to share.

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  37. Thanks for sharing! An inspiring message to start my day! :)

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  38. this is such a wonderful story. i hope i get to be a coffee bean someday!

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  39. Great one! I read this before but glad to be reminded with this post. I always love to be the coffee-bean-like person in whatever situation.:) That is why I also love coffee much.

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  40. hi sis, shared this post on my blog and included your site, if you wanna check it out see here http://spiritualfoodforsoul.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-carrot-egg-and-cup-of-coffee.html
    <3 <3 <3
    continue inspiring us! :)

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  41. fascinating analogy. tnx for sharing! :)

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  42. This is a cool one, I love the coffee but that's not my favorite

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  43. I can be a carrot, an egg and a coffee bean depending the situations in encountering. I'm a different person depending to whom I'm talking to and I'm dealing with. :D

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  44. What a nice story! I would surely aspire to be a coffee bean :)

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  45. I love the story! It made reflect on how I react on adversities. hard to say but sometimes I am an egg and a carrot.But I want to be like a coffee bean when I encounter problems.

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  46. This is a great story to share to others. Simple but hard-hitting enough to make you think of yourself.

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  47. Looking forward to more inspirational posts from you.

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  48. I love the moral lesson of the story..I wish I'm always like a coffee but my tendency is like an egg..hope I can change how I react on adversities

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  49. Thanks for this story. An eye opener for me.

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  50. A very inspiring story... as what Dominique says I am into second the motion... love to read more.

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  51. This is inspiring. I hope that the coffee bean in all of us will continue to emerge!

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  52. i remember reading this story really well and made a promise to myself that i should go back to this always to check if im still a coffee hihi :_)

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  53. This is inspirational, really love this story!

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  54. I love your story! very inspirational. A lot of times, I do end up like the carrot. Other circumstances, the egg. I will try hard to be the coffee bean

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