Have you heard the story about the three pots of water? Every once in a while I see that story pop up in my Facebook feed. The forlorn-looking woman dealing with challenges and disappointment, whether the story is her marriage or her work life, it all leads to the same conclusion. In the tale, her mother (grandma, aunt, whoever) tells her to bring three pots of water to a roaring boil.
In one pot of water, place an egg.
In the 2nd pot of water, place carrots.
In the 3rd pot, place coffee beans.
When life heats up all around us and we’re faced with difficult situations, will we be the egg, which hardens under these circumstances?
Or we be the carrots which become soft a mushy due to the unrelenting heat?
Or will we be the coffee which, under intense heat, actually changes the water?
In work situations, I have allowed circumstances to make me hardened and gruff. In those situations I was reflecting the attitudes of management or colleagues and allowed those attitudes to affect me. When times were tough and market conditions were dismal, I became more like the carrots. Soft, pliable, giving in way too easily or compromising my beliefs in order to appease everyone.
I think we all have moments of being the egg or the carrots. After all, we are human and we are affected by our circumstances. The question is: how long will be affected before we remember who we are and what the purpose is for doing what we do?
I reached that point in 2014 when I was unhappy in my work situation and once I arrived at the conclusion that I needed to make a change, I couldn’t leave fast enough.
I interviewed at other commercial real estate firms and decided I would start my own independent brokerage…THE COFFEE CHANGES THE WATER.
I looked at office spaces to house my independent brokerage and decided to open a coworking space to share amenities and resources with other businesses…THE COFFEE CHANGES THE WATER.
Now after 4 1/2 years on my own as an independent broker and 18 months into the coworking endeavor, I look at this painting that hangs above our coffee pot serving the finest locally roasted coffee and remind myself that I AM THE COFFEE.
Join me for a cup ☕
