Lara joined as a trainee in an IT company with a good package through campus interviews from her college.

Like any graduate, she had big dreams for her career.

She was given all kinds of training in the initial months. After the training, she started working on project execution.

Lara started enjoying the work she was doing. She was delivering all the projects deliverables on time without any issues. In parallel, she gave technical solutions to team members when needed and helped the team in creating a new process for the team.

Lara’s active participation does not go well with other team members.

They started creating indirect problems for her like, not giving proper inputs, not listening to her ideas, and not involving her in the meetings.

It continued for some time. For Lara, the work she was previously enjoying now started giving stress.

One day while she was having her lunch, Carolin, Senior Manager from another team, joined her table. She was a mentor for Lara during her initial months.

Lara was looking upset. Seeing her, Carolin asked her, “Why are you upset? Any problem? Let me know if I can help, if possible?.”

She replied, “Nothing, all good.”

Lara said, “I’ve known you for some time. Something in your mind is bothering you. Just open yourself. We can find a solution!

She replied, “I am planning to put my resignation. This work culture is very hard on me, and I am giving up”.

After listening to her, Carolin Said, “This weekend, come to my house for dinner, let us talk about this.”

Lara went to her house. Before dinner, she took Lara to her kitchen and showed three vessels filled with water. She told Lara to place all the vessels on the stove and bring them to boil.

She then told Lara to put the potatoes in the first vessel, the egg in the second, and coffee beans in the third.

After 15 minutes, she turned Off the stove. She asked Lara to peel the potatoes and eggs and place them in a bowl. Then pour the coffee into a cup.

They placed all of them on a table.

Carolin asked, “What are you seeing now?.”

She replied, “Potatoes, Eggs, and coffee.”

Carolin asks her to touch them and tell her what you feel.

She replied, “Potatoes are soft, eggs were hard, and coffee smells good!

Carolin said, “You see, we have put each one of them in the same boiling water. And they reacted differently.

Potatoes that were hard become soft.

Fragile eggs turned hard.

Hard coffee beans melt in the water.

So, which one are you?

When you give up, you are like a potato. Soft and easy to smash. Anyone can easily control you.

When you never give up, you become hard like a boiled egg.

When you are like a coffee bean, you will change the situation and turn it to your favor.”

Lara, hearing her, realized she should never give up and has to be strong like an egg.

Moral of the story

The same boiling water that softened the potato hardens the egg.

In life, challenges come from different directions but, we should never give up on ourselves.

One day our life will be low, and the next day it will be high. It is up to us how we react to each situation. Don’t think only about the negative side of your life.

Be Optimistic when the going gets tough, raise your level, and change like an egg.