潘守宝

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. Her mother took her to the kitchen.

Her mother filled three pots with water. In the first， she placed carrots， in the second she placed eggs and 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.

She brought her daughter closer and asked her to feel the carrots. Her daughter did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell， her daughter observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally， she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled， as she tasted its rich aroma.

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？” 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 death， a breakup， a financial hardship 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 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？

一个年轻女子找到母亲，告诉她有关自己的生活现状，并抱怨世事的艰难。母亲把她带到厨房。

母亲将三个水壶装满水。在第一个壶里，她放进胡萝卜，第二个壶里放入鸡蛋，最后一个壶里放的是磨好的咖啡粉。她一言不发，将壶放在炉子上煮了起来。大约20分钟后关掉炉子。她捞出胡萝卜放到一个碗里，然后拣出鸡蛋放入另一个碗里，最后用勺舀出咖啡又放入一个碗中。

她让女儿走近一些，让她摸一下胡萝卜。女儿照办，并发现胡萝卜变软了。母亲又让女儿拿起一个鸡蛋将其敲碎。剥掉蛋壳后，女儿看到一个煮熟的鸡蛋。最后，母亲让女儿呷了一口咖啡。女儿笑了，因为她品尝到了咖啡的浓香。

这里每样东西都面临同样的逆境——沸水的煮熬——然而它们各自的反应却大不相同。胡萝卜放入水壶时又硬又挺又不易折，然而经沸水煮过后变得松软易弯曲了。鸡蛋原本易碎，靠着一层薄薄的蛋壳保护着里面的蛋清。但被水煮过之后，它的里面变硬了。然而与众不同的却是磨好的咖啡粉，沸水煮过之后，它把水都改变了。

“你是哪一类呢？”母亲问女儿。“当苦难临门时，你如何应对？你是做胡萝卜、鸡蛋还是咖啡豆？”

想想看：我属于哪一类？

我是貌似坚强的胡萝卜，经过痛苦和逆境之后，变得气馁、软弱从而丧失斗志？抑或是鸡蛋，开始有一颗柔弱易碎的心，但加热煮过后有所改变？我是否是内心原本可塑的鸡蛋，经历死亡、分手、经济危机或其它的磨难之后，变得坚强刚毅了？我是否看上去外表依旧，但我的心灵却百折不挠，我的内心坚毅而刚强？或许我像咖啡豆？事实上，咖啡豆改变了那壶热水——虽然热水给它带来苦难。水煮热时，咖啡豆释放出馥郁芳香。如果你是咖啡豆，当处境糟糕透顶时，你会发挥得更好，并一举改变颓势。当你身处最黑暗的关头，倍受命运折磨之际，你会上升到另一个高度吗？