每个人都有身陷困境的时候。我们不能选择不经历困难，但是我们能够选择在困难面前是逃避还是面对，是欣然接受还是悲观抗拒——面对困难的态度决定了我们的高度和深度。
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. 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. In about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners.
一个年轻的女人去找她的母亲，告诉她自己的生活对她来说是多么艰难。她不知道该怎么做，想要放弃。她妈妈把她带到厨房。她在三个罐子里装满了水，把每个罐子放在大火上。不久，锅里的水沸腾了。她在第一个罐子里放了胡萝卜，在第二个罐子里放了鸡蛋，在最后一个罐子里放了磨碎的咖啡豆。大约二十分钟后，她关掉了火炉。
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 it.
妈妈把她拉近一点，让她摸摸胡萝卜。她照做了，她注意到它们很软。然后她让她拿一个鸡蛋并打破它。剥去蛋壳后，她看到了煮熟的鸡蛋。最后，她让她喝一口咖啡。女儿一边品尝，一边笑了。
Then her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity — boiling water — but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong and hard. 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.
然后她的母亲解释说，这些东西都面临着同样的逆境——沸水——但它们的反应不同。胡萝卜又硬又结实。然而，经过沸水的作用，它软化了，变弱了。这颗蛋很脆弱。它那薄薄的外壳保护着里面的液体。但是，经过沸水的浸泡，它的内部变得坚硬了!然而，磨碎的咖啡豆是独一无二的。当它们在沸水里之后，它们改变了水。
“Which are you? When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you the carrot that seems strong but, with pain and adversity, do you become soft and lose your strength? Are you the egg that starts with a malleable (柔软的) heart, but changes with the heat? Or do 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. Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?” the mother asked.
“你是哪一个?当逆境找上门来时，你该如何应对?你是那根看似坚强的胡萝卜，但在痛苦和逆境中，你会变得软弱，失去力量吗?你是那个一开始心脏可塑，但随着温度变化而改变的鸡蛋吗?还是你喜欢咖啡豆?豆子实际上改变了热水，这正是带来疼痛的环境。当水变热时，它会释放出香味和味道。你是胡萝卜、鸡蛋还是咖啡豆?“母亲问道。
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