A young woman went to her mother and complained that life was hard for her. She was tired of fighting and struggling. When one problem was solved, a new one appeared. She was ready to give up and quit trying.
Her mother took her to the kitchen where she filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil.
In the first pot she placed carrots. In the second she placed eggs. And in the last pan she put ground coffee beans.
She let them sit and boil without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners.
She spooned 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 cup.
Turning to her daughter she asked, “Tell me what you see.”
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She 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?”
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity—boiling water. And each reacted differently.
The carrot went in strong, confident and firm. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it wilted and weakened.
The egg had been well composed but delicate. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its insides solidified.
The ground coffee beans reacted differently, however. After they were in the boiling water, they 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 is strong, but with adversity I wilt, and lose confidence and strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but hardens with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, do I become hardened and feel dejected? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside I am bitter?
Or am I like the coffee bean that changes its environment by being in it? When the water gets hot, the bean releases its fragrance and flavor.
How do you handle adversity?
Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
Showing posts with label parables. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parables. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
The Daffodil principle
A inspirational story forwarded by a reader...
Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over."
I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive. I promised a little reluctantly on her third call that I’d come over next Tuesday.
When I arrived, we went out for a drive.
After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, "Daffodil Garden."
We got out of the car, and I followed Carolyn, my daughter, down a path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.
For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived.
One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.
The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.
Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over."
I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive. I promised a little reluctantly on her third call that I’d come over next Tuesday.
When I arrived, we went out for a drive.
After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, "Daffodil Garden."
We got out of the car, and I followed Carolyn, my daughter, down a path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.
It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow. Each different colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.
"Who did this?" I asked Carolyn.
"Just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory.
We walked up to the house. On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking," was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman, two hands, two feet, and one mind." The third answer was, "Began in 1958."For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived.
One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.
The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.
That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time--often just one baby-step at time--and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world.
"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"
My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.
She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?"
Use the Daffodil Principle. Stop waiting.....
Until your car or home is paid off
Until you get a new car or home
Until your kids leave the house
Until you go back to school
Until you finish school
Until you clean the house
Until you organize the garage
Until you clean off your desk
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married
Until you get a divorce
Until you have kids
Until the kids go to school
Until you retire
Until summer
Until spring
Until winter
Until fall
Until you die...
There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
So work like you don't need money. Love like you've never been hurt, and dance like no one's watching.
Wishing you a beautiful, daffodil day!
I like this story! It's a parable for success in life. Even in spiritual study, the great Aha! moment of seeing complete spiritual perfection doesn't come in a moment. It's the working of moments, faithful moments, of steadfast commitment to understanding God better.
As the woman planted one bulb at a time and we gain one new spiritual insight at a time, our mental garden grows and blooms and expands and prospers until the entire mountainside of thought is covered with divine glory and we gasp with eternal joy at the scene of heaven laid out before us.
Friday, December 1, 2006
Finding God
A student asked his spiritual teacher one day, “How do I find God?”
The teacher pondered for a moment, and then replied, “I’ll show you later.”
Puzzled, but obedient, the student patiently waited for an explanation.
Several days later, the two were swimming in a pond. Without any warning, the teacher grabbed the head of his student and plunged it into the water causing the young man to flail and fight for freedom in order to breathe.
The teacher refused to let go.
The student, bewildered, and rapidly growing desperate for air tried with all his might to break free of the man’s lock-grip. But to no avail. Finally, the mentor let go, and the student burst upward gasping for air.
“Why did you do that?” the student vehemently protested.
“Why did you struggle so?” the teacher replied.
“Because I wanted to breathe!” the student declared.
The teacher said, “You asked last week, ‘How do I find God?”
He continued, “Now I’ve shown you. When you struggle and fight to know God like you just fought for breath, you’ll find His presence.”
The teacher pondered for a moment, and then replied, “I’ll show you later.”
Puzzled, but obedient, the student patiently waited for an explanation.
Several days later, the two were swimming in a pond. Without any warning, the teacher grabbed the head of his student and plunged it into the water causing the young man to flail and fight for freedom in order to breathe.
The teacher refused to let go.
The student, bewildered, and rapidly growing desperate for air tried with all his might to break free of the man’s lock-grip. But to no avail. Finally, the mentor let go, and the student burst upward gasping for air.
“Why did you do that?” the student vehemently protested.
“Why did you struggle so?” the teacher replied.
“Because I wanted to breathe!” the student declared.
The teacher said, “You asked last week, ‘How do I find God?”
He continued, “Now I’ve shown you. When you struggle and fight to know God like you just fought for breath, you’ll find His presence.”
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
The buzzard, the bat and the bumblebee
Forwarded from a reader:
BUZZARD
If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.
BAT
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkably nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
BUMBLEBEE
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it expires.
PEOPLE
In many ways, humans are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. They struggle about with all their problems and frustrations, never realizing that all they have to do is look up.
Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, but faith looks up.
Where are you looking today?
BUZZARD
If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.
BAT
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkably nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
BUMBLEBEE
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it expires.
PEOPLE
In many ways, humans are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. They struggle about with all their problems and frustrations, never realizing that all they have to do is look up.
Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, but faith looks up.
Where are you looking today?
Friday, June 30, 2006
Cuckoo bird and averting fear
It’s one of the biggest cons in the bird kingdom.
The famous cuckoo bird rarely builds its own nest. When ready to lay eggs, mother cuckoo looks for a nest with eggs similar to hers already in it. When mom and pop warbler are off looking for food, mother cuckoo slips into the unsuspecting warblers' nest, deposits her egg, and takes off never to return. Meanwhile, hard working mom and pop warbler return, and not being too good at arithmetic, don’t notice the addition to the family. The cuckoo hatches and gets fed with the other baby warblers.
But baby cuckoo is 2-3 times bigger than her nest-mates. Wanting more food and more room, she kicks the warblers out of the nest one by one, killing them off to make more space for herself. Soon, the cuckoo is the only fledgling left and mom and pop warbler are working their tail-feathers off trying to keep her hungry appetite content. Finally, cuckoo flies off and repeats the same deceitful trick on another unsuspecting warbler elsewhere.
The moral of the story is…never let a cuckoo bird lay an egg in your nest!
Fear appears in the human consciousness in much the same way a cuckoo egg appears in a warbler’s nest—out of nowhere.
Have you ever gone to bed feeling well only to wake in the morning feeling ill? If so, cuckoo bird laid an egg of fear in thought during the night, and it hatched by morning.
Have you ever been happy and without warning suddenly felt depressed? If so, cuckoo bird just hatched another egg.
I’m using cuckoo bird here as a metaphor for mortal mind—the sensuous, material and selfish mind that has nothing but ill to offer.
To prevent the “cuckoo bird” of mortal mind from depositing alien eggs, or fears, into thinking, we need to stay spiritually alert, awake, and attentive to what happens in our mental household.
“Stand porter at the door of thought,” Mary Baker Eddy wrote.
Put on the Mind of Christ the apostle Paul instructed. With spiritual alertness we can prevent false beliefs from taking root and growing to unwanted proportions.
Let's keep our thinking filled with Truth and Love, and stop the predator of fear from sneaking into our mental precincts.
Cuckoo bird be-gone!
The famous cuckoo bird rarely builds its own nest. When ready to lay eggs, mother cuckoo looks for a nest with eggs similar to hers already in it. When mom and pop warbler are off looking for food, mother cuckoo slips into the unsuspecting warblers' nest, deposits her egg, and takes off never to return. Meanwhile, hard working mom and pop warbler return, and not being too good at arithmetic, don’t notice the addition to the family. The cuckoo hatches and gets fed with the other baby warblers.
But baby cuckoo is 2-3 times bigger than her nest-mates. Wanting more food and more room, she kicks the warblers out of the nest one by one, killing them off to make more space for herself. Soon, the cuckoo is the only fledgling left and mom and pop warbler are working their tail-feathers off trying to keep her hungry appetite content. Finally, cuckoo flies off and repeats the same deceitful trick on another unsuspecting warbler elsewhere.
The moral of the story is…never let a cuckoo bird lay an egg in your nest!
Fear appears in the human consciousness in much the same way a cuckoo egg appears in a warbler’s nest—out of nowhere.
Have you ever gone to bed feeling well only to wake in the morning feeling ill? If so, cuckoo bird laid an egg of fear in thought during the night, and it hatched by morning.
Have you ever been happy and without warning suddenly felt depressed? If so, cuckoo bird just hatched another egg.
I’m using cuckoo bird here as a metaphor for mortal mind—the sensuous, material and selfish mind that has nothing but ill to offer.
To prevent the “cuckoo bird” of mortal mind from depositing alien eggs, or fears, into thinking, we need to stay spiritually alert, awake, and attentive to what happens in our mental household.
“Stand porter at the door of thought,” Mary Baker Eddy wrote.
Put on the Mind of Christ the apostle Paul instructed. With spiritual alertness we can prevent false beliefs from taking root and growing to unwanted proportions.
Let's keep our thinking filled with Truth and Love, and stop the predator of fear from sneaking into our mental precincts.
Cuckoo bird be-gone!
Friday, June 16, 2006
The Fisherman and the Industrialist
A rich industrialist was horrified to find a fisherman lying comfortably beside his boat soaking in the warm afternoon sun. “Why aren’t you out fishing?” asked the industrialist.
“I’ve caught enough fish for the day,” said the fisherman.
”Why don’t you catch some more?” questioned the rich man.
”What would I do with them?” asked the fisherman.
”You could earn more money,” said the intruder. “Then you could buy a new motor for your boat and go into deeper waters to catch more fish. Then you could buy nylon nets and catch more fish and make more money. Then you could buy another boat and make more money, and then get a fleet of boats to make even more money. Then you would be a rich man like me!”
“What would I do then?” The fisherman asked.
”Then you could really enjoy life!” The industrialist answered.
”What do you think I’m doing right now?” replied the contented worker.
Ka-ching!
Have you ever been tempted to believe you need more than you already have?
A consumer oriented society preaches the pursuit of happiness through consumption. Yet, experience teaches us that money does not buy genuine joy. True contentment is a feeling found within, not a discardable item bought at a store.
We can learn from the lesson of the fisherman. Be happy with what we have, and bask in the eternal presence of God’s omnipresent goodness.
We have all we need to fully enjoy life here and now.
“I’ve caught enough fish for the day,” said the fisherman.
”Why don’t you catch some more?” questioned the rich man.
”What would I do with them?” asked the fisherman.
”You could earn more money,” said the intruder. “Then you could buy a new motor for your boat and go into deeper waters to catch more fish. Then you could buy nylon nets and catch more fish and make more money. Then you could buy another boat and make more money, and then get a fleet of boats to make even more money. Then you would be a rich man like me!”
“What would I do then?” The fisherman asked.
”Then you could really enjoy life!” The industrialist answered.
”What do you think I’m doing right now?” replied the contented worker.
Ka-ching!
Have you ever been tempted to believe you need more than you already have?
A consumer oriented society preaches the pursuit of happiness through consumption. Yet, experience teaches us that money does not buy genuine joy. True contentment is a feeling found within, not a discardable item bought at a store.
We can learn from the lesson of the fisherman. Be happy with what we have, and bask in the eternal presence of God’s omnipresent goodness.
We have all we need to fully enjoy life here and now.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
The light and the closet
People wonder how they can keep a perspective of goodness when there are so many bad things going on in the world.
Christian Science teaches us to know God as omnipresent good. The more we know God’s ever-present goodness, the more of that goodness we experience everyday, and everywhere we go. It improves the mental environments our thoughts rest upon.
There’s a story…
A discussion was going on between a lightbulb and a closet in a very unique bedroom. Each was extolling its own virtues.
“Look at my brilliant shine,” said the bulb to the closet. “Isn’t it a beautiful sight to behold?”
“You do have a bright glow,” the closet replied. “But you should see my handsome darkness. It’s some of the highest quality most desirable darkness eyes have ever beheld.”
Becoming curious, the little light queries, “Really! I’d like to see some of that darkness. Will you let me take a peek?”
“Sure,” said the closet, as it door swung open. “Come on over and look.”
The lightbulb, glowing in all its bright glory, looks into the closet, but everywhere it looks, there is only light. “Where’s the darkness,” the bulb protested. “I don’t see any darkness. I only see light!”
In the same way a lit bulb illuminates its surroundings with light, our spiritual-mindedness illuminates our mental surroundings with love and peace.
“Let your light shine!” Jesus instructed his followers.
A light is not impressed with darkness. A light just shines, and the darkness goes away.
Be a faithful light!!
Christian Science teaches us to know God as omnipresent good. The more we know God’s ever-present goodness, the more of that goodness we experience everyday, and everywhere we go. It improves the mental environments our thoughts rest upon.
There’s a story…
A discussion was going on between a lightbulb and a closet in a very unique bedroom. Each was extolling its own virtues.
“Look at my brilliant shine,” said the bulb to the closet. “Isn’t it a beautiful sight to behold?”
“You do have a bright glow,” the closet replied. “But you should see my handsome darkness. It’s some of the highest quality most desirable darkness eyes have ever beheld.”
Becoming curious, the little light queries, “Really! I’d like to see some of that darkness. Will you let me take a peek?”
“Sure,” said the closet, as it door swung open. “Come on over and look.”
The lightbulb, glowing in all its bright glory, looks into the closet, but everywhere it looks, there is only light. “Where’s the darkness,” the bulb protested. “I don’t see any darkness. I only see light!”
In the same way a lit bulb illuminates its surroundings with light, our spiritual-mindedness illuminates our mental surroundings with love and peace.
“Let your light shine!” Jesus instructed his followers.
A light is not impressed with darkness. A light just shines, and the darkness goes away.
Be a faithful light!!
