Ever heard the old saying, "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade"? What exactly does that mean? I think that they were trying to say "take life as it comes" or "do the best you can with what you have," but how often does the life lemon come looking exactly like a lemon?
More often than not, my life lemons have come looking like an opportunity to make extra money or a "great deal" on something. How come my life lemons never seem to look like a lemon until I try to take a bite out of it? Only then do my jaws get tight. Why are my lemons being disguised as hundred dollar bills? Why can't they just be round and yellow and have the little LEMON sticker on them?
Well, I'm beginning to think they looked like lemons all the time, but my mind's eye refused to recognize them as such. I was so blinded by what I wanted from the circumstance, that I simply refused to identify it as being something harmful. But of course, hindsight is 20/20 and looking back in my life's rearview mirror, I should have recognized each situation as the lemon that it was. In some cases, while I didn't see the lemon right off, I did get a whiff of a lemony scent, and even then, I demanded that my mind put that thought away immediately. In those cases, I ended up getting burnt, with no one to blame but myself.
How have you dealt with life's lemons? Do you always see them coming from miles away? Or are you like me and have to actually be burnt before you back away?
Your comments--priceless!!
I consider myself a realist in most cases, so I am one of those people who dont just jump at anything that comes their way. Even when I can see the lemon coming I dont get down, I just try to make the best out of the lemon that just landed in my lap. I am pretty good at recognizing it for what it is, and then hoping that I have enough sugar and water to make it into lemonade. I work hard at making a bad situation better, most times it works, sometimes it doesnt but it wasnt for lack of trying. It isn't always a bad thing, I happen to learn a lot along the way.
Over the years, it seems that we all get our fair share of lemons. I like to believe that once i have gotten over the day or two of 'why me', that i am pretty good at putting together other ingredients with that lemon and make something that works!
I try to always surround myself with positive people, as i have noticed that negative people seem to find a whole lot more lemons than i do. Friends sometimes tease me and call me pollyanna, but thats ok. i think my attitude of gratitude helps me get thru some of that other stuff a little easier.
my grandmother used to say where there is a will there is a way. i guess i kinda live by that!
Oh one last thing, the hardest for me, i learned to ask for help when i need it. sometimes you need a hand to help squeeze that lemon!
I have 2 definitions of lemons. In my first definition, lemons can be life's challenges. Those situations that pop up to 'test' our fortitude. Those lemons are the type I whip out my stash of Splenda and crushed ice to make a big ole pitcher of lemonade. My second definition of lemons require the suffix "head". Lemon-heads are those people that mean you no damn good while they try to weasel their way into your life. The trick is to quickly peel through that sweet exterior to get to the sour insides. Cause true "lemon-heads" will always show their insides, we just have to recognize and/or remember that icky taste.