The unbearable heat and humidity that had been with us for the last several days was suddenly washed away. Welcomed winds immediately cooled the air, dropping the temperature so quickly we actually felt chilled.

What was most amazing were the stunning, minute-by-minute changes to the sky. Perched on the porch with camera in hand, it was exciting to witness the awesome color changes, the fog rolling in, and then the cleared sky and sunset. Within a short hour, the perspective from the porch had changed dramatically.

Just like life, change often comes quickly and unexpectedly, immediately affecting your perspective as well as your choices. The fog of uncertainty can certainly be challenging. This is why it is so vital to build a foundation of unshakable personal truth. Who are you? What do you stand for? What is most important to you? Then follow that inner guidance system.

How do you handle the storms that enter your life? Follow the Circle of Wisdom (Awareness, Acceptance, Accountability, Action, Achievement, Assess & Adjust) and your choices will become easier. The fog will clear. How you deal with change is entirely within your control. Really. You can choose to let the natural cycle of life nurture or destroy. Whether you find yourself in the middle of a drought, a flood, or gentle rain, with what lens will you choose to view life’s transitions?

The storm will pass. The sun will return. It always does.

Strong as Coffee

Are you the carrot, the egg, or the coffee bean?

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 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 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,” she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft.

The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked, “What does it mean mom?”

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. 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?”

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity 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, 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 stiff spirit and 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 hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level?

“How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?” Anonymous

Discover how to live a life of balance, reduce stress, and listen to the wisdom of your inner guidance system. The Journey to Swan is a life changing process of personalized action steps that begins with the Circle of Wisdom.