How many of us have been given lemons throughout life? What do we do? “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” is a powerful proverbial phrase. One of my favorites, that remind me that things are not always perfect. Our plans do not always go the way we want or expect. In that case what can we do? What do we do? Well, the proverbial phrase makes it clear, that when things get bitter and sour, we can make the best out of the situation. The phrase speaks to the realities of life. We encounter difficulties, things may not always work out. As I reflect on this phrase, my thoughts go back to Stephen Covey teaching on the Circle of Influence. Which relates to what we can control, as per the Circle of Concern (What we cannot control). Our decisions are based on the choices we make daily. The lemon represents many different situations that may go wrong in our lives. However, the lemonade is our response to receiving the lemon. What matters is not the fact that we have received lemons? What matters is how we use the lemons. What matters is how we respond to receiving the lemons. We either accept the lemons, complain, wish for better or we move forward. One thing I have learned over the past years, is the power of mindset. Our mindset will determine how we respond to receiving the lemons. Our mindset will determine how we respond to our situations. In the context of the proverbial phrase, we would respond by making lemonade. Which represents having a positive attitude, being optimistic and despite what we have been giving, we try to make the best out of what we have. It is not what we receive, it is how we respond to what we have received. It is our reactions to our experiences. As per the proverbial phrase, which has such a strong meaning, let us make lemonade out of the lemons we receive. – Natalee A. Johnson – Naj Writings. © 2020. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
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