Ripples v9.19: Heat!

Ripples v9.19: Heat!
5/7/07: a free weekly splash from Paul & The Ripples Project

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= PEBBLE =o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o

A clay pot sitting in the sun will always be a clay pot.
It has to go through the white heat of the furnace to become porcelain.
-Mildred W. Struven, submitted by Heather C., Atlanta GA


=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= BOULDER =o=o=o=o=o=o=o

Carrots, Eggs, & Coffee.

Upon hearing him complain about how difficult his life was, she put three pots of water on the stove. When the water came to a boil, she placed carrots in the first pot, eggs in the second pot, and ground coffee beans in the third. After boiling for 20 minutes, she asked him what he saw.

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," he replied.

She brought him closer and asked him to feel the carrots (they were soft), the eggs (they were hard), and to taste the coffee (it was good!).

She explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique: after they were in the boiling water, they had 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?

-condensed from unknown source, submitted by Brad W., Phoenix AZ


=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= PONDER =o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o

This is the time of year when many of our Ripplers are feeling the HEAT of final exams, project deadlines, etc. Others may be facing unexpected obstacles or setbacks. For some of us, this is actually a lighter period and things are actually just fine. The question isn't whether or not things will get hot, the question is: How will we handle the HEAT?

When you feel the HEAT coming on, just know that you have a choice in how you respond, and remember that you will be better, stronger, and wiser on the other side of the craziness!

Peace!

Paul