This is a guest post by Teresa Orzalli

I keep the following story posted to my office wall as a reminder of what I want to be and how I want others to see me. I WANT TO BE COFFEE!!! That’s right, you read that correctly…I WANT TO BE COFFEE. I don’t know where the story originated from but it tells of a young woman who went to talk with her mother (who was working in the kitchen) to share some difficulties she was going through. As the daughter spoke, the woman took out three pots, filled them with water and placed each on a stove burner set on high. Soon the water began to boil. Listening to her daughter continue to talk, she placed items in each pot of boiling water; carrots in one, eggs in another and ground coffee beans in the third.

Twenty minutes passed and as she continued listening she removed the carrots and eggs and placed them in bowls. She then ladled out the coffee and placed it in a bowl as well. Then she asked her daughter…”What do you see?” She replied carrots, eggs, and coffee of course. The mother then asked her to feel the carrots; she did, and noted they were soft.

Her mother asked her to break the egg; she did, and noted the egg was now hard boiled. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to taste the coffee; again she did as her mother asked and tasted the rich flavor and wonderful aroma. Confused, she asked her mother why.

The mother then explained to the daughter that each of the items had faced the same adversity; boiling water. The carrot went in strong and hard but came out soft and weak. The egg went into the water fragile and protected by its thin outer shell but after sitting in the boiling water, it became hardened.

However, the ground coffee beans were different, after being in the boiling water…they changed the water. She then asked her daughter, which one are you?

When faced with adversity are you the carrots, eggs or coffee?

Are you the carrots that seem strong but when faced with hardships and difficulties you become weak and soft?

Or maybe the egg, which began with a fluid spirit but has been hardened by the challenges life has thrown in your path?

Or are you the coffee bean?

Do you face the challenges of life’s boiling water and make the best of the situation at hand?

How do you handle adversity?

I know this month’s article is not what I usually share with all of you but for me, this story fits into every aspect of my life; professional or personal. I think about it all the time and I hope it will be meaningful and helpful to each of you at work and at home…ATTITUDE makes the difference. So again I say, I WANT TO BE COFFEE…served in a pink cup of course.

Tidbits by Teresa Orzalli appears monthly in The Suite Life at Cache Creek Casino Resorts, Northern California’s Finest Destination, http://www.cachecreek.com/

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Tags: adversity, aroma, boiling water, bowls, carrot, carrots, egg, eggs, ground coffee beans, hardships, pot, pots, reminder, rich flavor, stove burner, thin outer shell, twenty minutes, young woman

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