Self Motivation
Dealing With Adversity
A daughter who was dealing with adversity complained to her father 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 father, a chef, took her to the kitchen
He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire
Soon the pots came to a boil
In one he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and in the last he placed ground coffee beans
He let them sit and boil, without saying a word
The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing
In about twenty minutes he turned off the burners
He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl
He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl
Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a mug
Turning to her he asked, "Daring, what do you see?" she replied: "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots
She did and noted that they were soft
He then asked her to take an egg and break it
After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg
Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee
She smiled as she tasted its rich aroma
She humbly asked
"What does it mean, Father?" He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity, boiling water, but each reacted differently
The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting
But 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 to the water
"Which are you?" he asked his daughter
"When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"
