Hot Water Moments: Will You Soften, Harden, or Rise?

An age old story that serves as a great reminder -

Three things are placed in boiling water: a carrot, an egg, and cocoa powder.

The carrot goes in firm and tough but emerges soft, wilted, and weakened.

The egg goes in fragile, its shell shielding a delicate inside, but after a while, the inside becomes hard.

And the cocoa? Well, cocoa transforms the water itself—creating something richer, deeper, better.

Each of these reacts differently to the same external pressure—boiling water. And in many ways, so do we.

The Boiling Water in Your Life

Hot water is the metaphor for challenge. Setbacks, failures, heartbreak, stress—these are your boiling water moments. None of us get through life without them.

Sometimes, we’re like the carrot—strong on the outside, but we lose our firmness when the heat rises. The pressure wears us down, and we begin to feel small, defeated, or hopeless. It’s okay to soften—sometimes we need to break down to heal—but staying in that state too long can stop us from showing up for our dreams.

Other times, we’re like the egg—sensitive and open to life, until something painful happens. Then, to protect ourselves, we harden. Walls go up. Vulnerability goes down. We function, but we disconnect. This might serve us temporarily, but it can cost us connection and growth if we’re not careful.

And then, there’s cocoa. Cocoa is special. You drop it into hot water, and it doesn't get weaker or tougher—it elevates. It changes the whole environment around it. Cocoa makes something new, something delightful. It doesn't resist the heat—it transforms with it.

So, What Will You Choose?

Here’s the truth: you won’t always be cocoa. And that’s okay.

There will be days when you feel like the carrot—exhausted and fragile. There will be moments when you become the egg—shut down, guarded. What matters is recognizing where you are and choosing with intention.

You might choose to soften—to cry, to rest, to heal. That’s strength.

You might choose to harden briefly—to set boundaries, to protect your peace. That’s wisdom.

But ultimately, when you’re ready, you can choose to be the cocoa. The one who takes the pressure and transforms it into power.

How to Be More Like Cocoa

Shift from “Why is this happening to me?” to “What is this teaching me?”

That mindset switch is where transformation begins.

Reflect instead of reacting. Pause before spiraling. What would cocoa do?

Let adversity deepen you, not define you. You’re allowed to grow through what you go through.

Use your challenges to serve others. Cocoa makes the water better for everyone. Your story might be someone else’s survival guide.

Final Thought

You’re not defined by what happens to you—but by how you choose to respond. Boiling water reveals your nature, yes, but it also gives you the chance to rewrite it.

So the next time the heat is on, ask yourself:

Will I dissolve? Will I harden?

Or… will I rise?

You always have a choice.