The other day on Thanksgiving, I remember stressing out over the work I had to do between homework, FFA, and chores. I started working tirelessly to get as much work done as I could when my mom called me to the table. I was a bit upset as I had so much work to do but I knew that this was important to my family so I went and sat down. Next thing I knew, my family was sharing stories and laughing about our childhood experiences. As I looked around the table I was truly thankful for the people I shared that meal with. I found myself thinking about how crazy it is that one meal can change our perspective on the world so much. It made me think of a story about food that I had recently read. It went something along the lines of this:
Once upon a time, there was a boy who had just come home from school when his father asked him how his day was. The boy went on to tell his dad just how frustrated he was with all of the work he had to do at school and how he felt he would never accomplish it all. He was so upset at the situation that he asked his dad for advice.
Without saying a word, the dad stood up and went to the kitchen to start three small pots of boiling water. He then went to get a potato, an egg, and some coffee grounds and put each in a different pot. After a short while, the father put the potato and the egg onto a plate and poured the coffee into a glass. The boy was a bit confused.
The father told him to examine the three foods. The boy promptly picked up the potato and found that the once hearty potato had become soft. Then, the boy cracked open the egg and found that the weak egg had toughened up on the inside. He couldn’t help but wonder what all this meant as he picked up the coffee glass and took a sip. As he pulled away a smile grew across his face. His father went on to explain what this meant.
You see, this story isn't about the food but rather about choices. No one is perfect and we all go through many similar situations but many of us react in vastly different ways. When we come across a problem that stresses us out we automatically tend to go into fight or flight. This is like the potato and the egg. When we fight a situation, we toughen up like the egg to get through the problem. When we exhibit flight, we are like the potato which gets soft when put into boiling water. Both foods have different reactions to the problem that was the boiled water. The thing is, these two foods let the water change them. When we let a situation change who we are, we let the problem in. The coffee grounds, on the other hand, did something unique. They took the boiling water that changed the potato and the egg and made it into something delicious, something better. When we are stressed out over a situation, we have a choice to make: Are we going to let the problem change us, or are we going to change the problem?
At the end of the day, it all comes down to outlook. One of my favorite examples of this is from the diary of Anne Frank. You see Anne was in one of the worst situations imaginable during the writing of this diary yet she always managed to keep a positive outlook. How do I know this? When Anne wrote this diary she never knew anyone would ever read it. This diary was personal and truly was meant for her eyes only. One of the last pages she wrote before she was taken was regarding the goodness of people. My favorite quote from her personal writings is “In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart”. Take a moment to think about that. The worst situation imaginable yet she still believed there was good in every person. Anne never knew these words would be read yet she still managed to have hope.
No matter what your situation is, have hope. Don’t let the situation change you. You have a choice in every action you make whether you will change the problem or let the problem change you. Always strive for success and truly find happiness in everything you do. When you are faced with adversity, will you let the situation eat away at you or will you make the best out of the situation? When you are set into boiling water, will you be like the potato, the egg, or the coffee grounds?
Live to Serve,
2018-2019
Northwest State Vice-President
Cole Reiman
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