English Original
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 that, 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 a 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," the young woman replied.
The mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were 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 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 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, they had changed the water.
"Which are you?" the mother 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 or a financial hardship, does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a 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 hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate to another level?
How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
中文翻译
一位年轻女子向母亲倾诉她的生活有多么艰难。她不知道该如何坚持下去，想要放弃。她对斗争和挣扎感到厌倦。似乎每当一个问题解决，新的问题就会出现。
母亲把她带到厨房。她往三个锅里装满水，放在大火上烧。很快，水沸腾了。她在第一个锅里放了胡萝卜，第二个锅里放了鸡蛋，最后一个锅里放了研磨好的咖啡豆。她一言不发，让它们在沸水中煮着。
大约二十分钟后，她关掉了炉火。她把胡萝卜捞出来放进碗里，把鸡蛋拿出来放进碗里，然后把咖啡舀出来放进碗里。
她转向女儿问道：“告诉我，你看到了什么？”
“胡萝卜、鸡蛋和咖啡，”年轻女子回答。
母亲让她靠近些，让她摸摸胡萝卜。她摸了摸，注意到胡萝卜变软了。
接着，母亲让她拿一个鸡蛋并敲开它。剥掉蛋壳后，她看到了煮熟的鸡蛋。最后，母亲让她啜饮一口咖啡。女儿品尝着咖啡浓郁的香气，露出了微笑。
女儿问道：“妈妈，这有什么含义呢？”
母亲解释说，这三样东西都面临着同样的逆境——沸水——但反应却各不相同。
胡萝卜进去时是坚硬、结实、不屈不挠的。然而，在沸水中煮过后，它变软了，变得脆弱。
鸡蛋本来是易碎的。它薄薄的外壳保护着内部的液体。但是，在沸水中待过后，它的内部却变硬了！
然而，研磨好的咖啡豆是独特的。它们在沸水中煮过后，改变了水本身。
“你是哪一个呢？”母亲问女儿。“当逆境来敲门时，你如何回应？你是胡萝卜，是鸡蛋，还是咖啡豆？”
想想看。我是哪一个？
我是那个看似坚强，但在痛苦和逆境面前就会枯萎、变软、失去力量的胡萝卜吗？
我是那个开始时内心柔韧，却因受热而改变的鸡蛋吗？我是否曾拥有灵活的精神，但在经历死亡、分手或经济困难后，虽然外壳看起来一样，内心却变得苦涩、坚硬，精神僵化、心肠变硬？
或者我像咖啡豆一样？咖啡豆实际上改变了带来痛苦的热水本身。当水变热时，它释放出芬芳和风味。如果你像咖啡豆一样，当情况最糟糕时，你会变得更好，并改变你周围的环境。当最黑暗的时刻来临，考验最严峻时，你是否能提升到另一个境界？
你如何应对逆境？你是胡萝卜，是鸡蛋，还是咖啡豆？