Carrot, Egg or Coffee? (inspirational)

[Guest guest]

Carrot, Egg or Coffee?

This is too good of a life lesson not to pass on!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 figuring 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, 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.It's easier to build a child

than repair an adult.

[Guest guest]

Sairam brother,

This is a wonderful example you have sent. Very meaningful. Thanks

and do send such emails. They will be useful not only for us but also

for balvikas children.

 

Also, I would like to thank all those SBN brothers and sisters who

responded to my query regarding the email problem. It was useful. I

have started receiving my emails, though not all. I wonder what's

wrong.

 

Thanks once again,

Sairam

Radha Vijay