When Adversity Knocks, How Will You Respond
I devour many articles and videos daily in search of knowledge and inspiration. One social media platform that started to gain my attention is TikTok, with numerous motivational videos uploaded daily; one video from Nicholas Caprio caught my attention. I like it, and I would like to share the story with you.
Once upon a time, a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and she didn’t know how she was going to make it. It seemed that just as one problem was solved, another one followed, and she was tired of fighting and struggling all the time.
Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen, where he filled three pots with water and placed them over a high flame.
When all three pots were boiling, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot, and ground coffee beans in the third pot.
Then without saying a word to his daughter, her father sat down and let the pots boil.
The daughter moaned and waited impatiently for him to explain what he was doing. After 20 minutes, he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes and placed them in a bowl. Then he pulled out the boiled eggs and placed them in another bowl. Finally, he ladled some coffee into a cup.
Turning to his daughter, he asked, “Daughter, what do you see?”.
“Potatoes, eggs and coffee,” she said instantly.
“Look closer,” he said, “and touch a potato.”
She did and noted that it was soft.
He then asked her to take an egg and break it. So she cracked the shell and revealed the hard-boiled egg within. Finally, he invited her to sip the coffee. When she brought the cup to her lips, the rich aroma brought a smile to her face. But she was not content. “I don’t understand,” she said, “What does this mean?”
He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs, and the coffee beans had each faced the same adversity, the boiling water. However, each reacted differently. The potato went in hard and strong and unrelenting, but in the boiling water, it became soft and weak. The egg was fragile, its thin outer shell barely protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water; then, the inside of the egg became firm and tough. But the ground coffee beans were unique. Placed into the boiling pot, the coffee changed the water and created something new and wonderful.
“Which are you?” He asked his daughter, “When adversity knocks on your door, how will you respond? Are you the potato, the egg, or the coffee bean?”
In life, things happen around us, and things happen to us, but what matter is how we act and what we make out of each of those experiences. The things the universe has in store for you are magnificent, mysterious and marvellous.
I found the story well narrated and meaningful. Plus, I like the way Nicholas structured it, making it fitting for its purpose. I watched this a couple of times to imbibe the essence of the story.
Many of us are hot-headed, thinking we are strong, only to become mashed potatoes in the face of adversity. Those who we believe to be weak surprisingly can survive any calamity life has thrown at them, turning their disadvantage into their advantage. Never underestimate the softer people around you. They may be tougher than you think.
Nicholas has a good collection of motivational videos on his TikTok profile; check him out with the below link.
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When adversity strikes, are you the potato, the egg or the coffee bean?
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