Women's Empowerment Tip: A Life Lesson from Coffee

I was inspired by an email forward the other day, and of course I knew I needed to share the lesson with my favorite group of empowered women!

As the story goes, a mother in an effort to teach her grown daughter a life lesson, puts three seemingly unrelated objects into separate pots of boiling water: a carrot, an egg, and some coffee.  And here comes the lesson:

The 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 insides 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?

And we ask the same of you...

Are you the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity wilt and become soft and lose your strength?

Are you the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat?  Did you have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, became hardened and stiff?  Does your shell look the same, but on the inside are you bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or, are you 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.

Of course there are life lessons in every adversity we face, and as we mature and gain wisdom, our typical reactions to various situations change.  Can you think back to particularly difficult time?  Did you respond like the carrot, the egg or the coffee?  How would you hope to respond to challenging times in the future?  We would love for you to post your comments below.

Becky,

Sister of Soul

Soul-spiration of the Week:

"If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it."    ~Mary Engelbreit

Take a Shortcut Through Your Problems

The process of self-discovery and the change that goes along with it can be a confusing journey. There are many stages and emotions throughout the process including blame, pain, avoidance, personal responsibility, blame and avoidance some more, awareness, and awakening.

I was recently introduced to the short poem below that so wonderfully simplified life’s journey. I don’t know about you, but I’ve walked down the same dangerous street myself a few too many times. Hopefully as time goes by I’ll get a little more “street-wise” and start taking that shortcut down another street through my problems.

Kim,
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters ~Portia Nelson

Chapter I:
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I fall in.
I am lost ... I am helpless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes me forever to find a way out.

Chapter II:
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in the same place
but, it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter III:
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in ... it's a habit.
my eyes are open
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

Chapter IV
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

Chapter V:
I walk down another street.

Life Lessons from an American Pastime

As my son began his sixth little league season earlier this summer, he took the field just as he did every other season. He hustled out to his position, glove in hand, cap pulled down low to shield the sun, wearing a smile that screamed, “I love this game”. I have to admit I became a little emotional; fighting back a tear or two I couldn’t help but begin a prayer asking God to bless us with a great baseball season.

Well, the season is just about half over and the boys have faced some pretty tough competition. They’ve won some games, lost some games, and even really lost some games. But in my eyes God has answered my prayer. You see I didn’t ask Him for a perfect season. Wins are nice but it’s in the losses, hot practices, long innings, where the life lessons are learned.

As adults we need to take lessons from these young ball players: Teamwork, sacrifice, encouragement, confidence, enthusiasm, endurance, and perseverance make us true winners.

Jenny, Sister of Soul


Soulspiration of the Week:

“It's easy to have faith in yourself and have discipline when you're a winner, when you're number one. What you got to have is faith and discipline when you're not a winner.” ~Vince Lombardi