Are you a carrot, egg or coffee bean?

Are you a carrot, egg or coffee bean?
>> > >
>> > > Which one of these items do you fall under. These examples
reflect
>> > > something about us. 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 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, the coffe beans 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, lost of job, health problem, 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.
>> > >