Are You a Carrot, An Egg, or a Coffee Bean?

This is a familiar story on the internet, but after hearing it again recently, I felt compelled to share it with you:

Are You a Carrot, An Egg, or a Coffee Bean?

Anonymous

A young womanwent to her mother and told her about her life and how things were sohard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wantedto give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as soon as oneproblem was solved a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. Shefilled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots, in thesecond she placed eggs and the last she placed ground coffee beans. Shelet them sit and boil without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes, she turned off theburners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. Shepulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled thecoffee 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.

The mother brought her daughter closer and asked her to feelthe carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked herto take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, the daughter observedthe hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. Thedaughter 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—but each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard andunrelenting. However after being subjected to the boiling water, itsoftened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outershell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through theboiling 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. "Whenadversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, anegg, or a coffee bean?" 

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrotthat seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and becomesoft and lose my strength? 

Am I the egg that starts with a malleableheart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but afterdeath, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have Ibecome hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on theinside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart? 

Or am I like the coffee bean? The beanactually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings thepain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. 

If you are like the bean, when things are attheir worst, you get better and change the situation around you. Whenthe hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate toanother level? 

How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?