The Story Of The Carrot, Egg, And Oolong Tea
I recently ate buffet at Tong Yang, and after a sumptuous meal, the waiter there served free oolong tea. Ahhh… I remember the story of the carrot, the egg, and the oolong tea, which taught me a great lesson.
A woman was going through a very rough time in her life, and having no one else to turn to, she visited her mom one day.
In the kitchen, the woman went on and on with her problems while her mom just listened and quietly poured water into three pots. The water soon boiled and her mother placed carrots on the first pot, eggs on the second, and oolong tea on the third.
After a couple of minutes, her mom turned off the fire and fished out the carrots and the eggs and poured the tea in two cups.
“What do you see?” asked the mother.
“Carrots, eggs, and oolong tea” was her answer.
Her mother asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft.
She then took an egg and broke the shell; she saw it was hard-boiled.
Finally, both women took a sip of the oolong tea.
The daughter smiled as she enjoyed the rich flavor of the tea. She turned and asked, “What does this all mean, Mom?”
Her mother explained that all three went through the same experience; they were all boiled. The carrot was strong and hard at first but became soft and weak after boiling. The egg was soft and liquid inside but later became hard. The oolong tea was different for it changed the color and taste of the boiling water.
The older and wise woman asked her daughter,
“When you go through difficulties in your life, how do you react? Are you like the carrot, egg or tea?”
Are you like the carrot that looks solid and strong but becomes soft and weak, or the egg that’s soft on the inside but becomes hard and stiff when faced with personal difficulties?
Or are you like the oolong tea? The oolong tea was forced by the boiling water (difficulty) to bring out its fragrance and taste, changing the hot water into something better.
If you’re taking the road less traveled like I am, taking the journey from employee to entrepreneur, for sure it’s going to be a bumpy ride. It IS a bumpy ride!
An important lesson I learned from this story of the carrot, egg, and tea is that we don’t have to be afraid to fail and face difficulties. Failure is part of the process of success. There is no successful person who did not fail in the past.
We learn the most about ourselves when we fail. Whatever difficulties you’re facing or will face in the future, just show the world how it will bring out the best in you!
It was great to share this story with you today. I’d love to share it with as many people as possible so Tweet it or share it on Facebook with friends who touched your life in one way or another.
Be blessed,
This post reminded me how much I enjoy Oolong tea