Short Story: Handling Adversity

Handling Adversity

A young woman went to her mother and complained about her life and how things were so hard for her. She said that with all the problems she have, she does not know how she's going to solve them all and that she simply wants to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It was like, with one problem solved, out comes a new one.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the first pot, she placed carrots. In the second pot, she placed eggs and in the last one, she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil. She did not say 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 another bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a different bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me what you see?”

“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied. She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted they got soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she took in its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, “What’s the point, mom?”

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity– the boiling water.. but 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 insides hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. The beans actually changed the water's fragrance and flavor.

“Which one 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?”

The daughter thought for a moment and nodded her head. Life is full of twists and turns, pain and adversity.. and it is your choice on how you would respond to them.

Which one are you?

Are you the carrot that seems strong, but with life's trials, do you wilt and become soft and lose your strength?

Are you the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Do you have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other life trial, you then become hard and stiff? Does your shell look the same, but on the inside you're bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?

Are you like a coffee bean? When things are at their worst, do you get better and change the situation around you? When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you learn and elevate to another level?

So which one are you? How do you handle adversity?




Source: Facebook