The chef's daughter complained to him that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling through one problem after the next and the trials were weighing her down. She explained to her father, as one problem was solved, another one would take its place.Her father took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each one on a high burner. Once the three pots began to boil, he placed a potato in one pot, an egg in the second pot and a cinnamon stick in the third. He let them boil without saying a word to his daughter. The daughter moaned and waited impatiently while they watched the pots boil.After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potato out of the pot and placed it on the counter. He took the egg out of the hot water and placed it next to the potato. He then took the cinnamon stick out and laid it next to the other two items. Turning to his daughter he asked, “What do you see?”“A potato, an egg and a cinnamon stick,” she impatiently replied.“What has happened to the potato," he asked? She picked up the potato and noticed that it was soft, mushy and began to fall apart. He then asked her to break open the egg. She pulled off the shell and observed the hardness of the solid mass. Finally, he placed the cinnamon stick next to the egg and potato. He then asked her to sip the rich flavor of the cinnamon water and this savory liquid brought a pleasant smile to face. “Father, I don't understand, what does this mean?” He then explained that the potato, the egg and cinnamon stick had each faced the same adversity of the fire and boiling water; however, each one reacted completely different. The potato went in the water strong, hard, and solid, but when exposed to the elements of fire and water, it became soft, weak and fell into pieces. The egg was extremely fragile before it was placed in the water. Its thin outer shell protected the soft interior, but when exposed to the elements of heat and water, the inside had become extremely hard. However, the cinnamon stick was unique. Although it was exposed to the very same elements as the other items, it had completely change its environment! The moment it was placed in the water, the cinnamon stick immediately began to create something new and wonderful. It did not change or compromise its shape or characteristic, rather it changed the surrounding elements. The air and water were filled with a delightful and savory aroma of cinnamon that was impossible to resist.“Which are you,” The father asked his daughter?"When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you the potato that becomes soft and falls to pieces, or perhaps you are the egg that becomes hard in the center and eventually turns cold, or are you the sweet and savory cinnamon stick that will change all the elements that are surrounding you?" In life, things happen around us, things happen to us, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us. When we develop a strong character from within, remaining constant and steady, we begin to develop the ability to change the very elements around us. These characteristics pull others into our center of influence and much like the cinnamon stick, we emulate a delightful presence that is hard to resist. By, Linda Sumner Urza, One fine day.
The chef's daughter complained to him that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling through one problem after the next and the trials were weighing her down. She explained to her father, as one problem was solved, another one would take its place.
Her father took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each one on a high burner. Once the three pots began to boil, he placed a potato in one pot, an egg in the second pot and a cinnamon stick in the third. He let them boil without saying a word to his daughter. The daughter moaned and waited impatiently while they watched the pots boil.
After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potato out of the pot and placed it on the counter. He took the egg out of the hot water and placed it next to the potato. He then took the cinnamon stick out and laid it next to the other two items. Turning to his daughter he asked, “What do you see?”
“A potato, an egg and a cinnamon stick,” she impatiently replied.
“What has happened to the potato," he asked?
She picked up the potato and noticed that it was soft, mushy and began to fall apart. He then asked her to break open the egg. She pulled off the shell and observed the hardness of the solid mass. Finally, he placed the cinnamon stick next to the egg and potato. He then asked her to sip the rich flavor of the cinnamon water and this savory liquid brought a pleasant smile to face.
“Father, I don't understand, what does this mean?”
He then explained that the potato, the egg and cinnamon stick had each faced the same adversity of the fire and boiling water; however, each one reacted completely different. The potato went in the water strong, hard, and solid, but when exposed to the elements of fire and water, it became soft, weak and fell into pieces. The egg was extremely fragile before it was placed in the water. Its thin outer shell protected the soft interior, but when exposed to the elements of heat and water, the inside had become extremely hard. However, the cinnamon stick was unique. Although it was exposed to the very same elements as the other items, it had completely change its environment! The moment it was placed in the water, the cinnamon stick immediately began to create something new and wonderful. It did not change or compromise its shape or characteristic, rather it changed the surrounding elements. The air and water were filled with a delightful and savory aroma of cinnamon that was impossible to resist.
“Which are you,” The father asked his daughter?
"When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you the potato that becomes soft and falls to pieces, or perhaps you are the egg that becomes hard in the center and eventually turns cold, or are you the sweet and savory cinnamon stick that will change all the elements that are surrounding you?"
In life, things happen around us, things happen to us, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us. When we develop a strong character from within, remaining constant and steady, we begin to develop the ability to change the very elements around us. These characteristics pull others into our center of influence and much like the cinnamon stick, we emulate a delightful presence that is hard to resist. By, Linda Sumner Urza, One fine day.
