Make the best of what life offers you

“If life gives you a lemon, make lemonade” goes a wise old adage. Often times, when problems arise and we are in the midst of it, we become pre-occupied with its real or imaginary consequences. Hence it is easy to forget and even accept that the problem we are going through is in fact the […]

“If life gives you a lemon, make lemonade” goes a wise old adage. Often times, when problems arise and we are in the midst of it, we become pre-occupied with its real or imaginary consequences. Hence it is easy to forget and even accept that the problem we are going through is in fact the proverbial ‘lemon’.
This happens because once in the midst of the problem, our mind is more focused on the negativities and the devastating consequences of it. In fact, many times it is only natural that this happens when we are actually experiencing and going through the negative consequences. However, it is possible to train the mind even when it is experiencing the worst, to look for the potential for something positive in the very circumstances and situation that is a problem. Unless and until you are able to see the potential for its juice, there isn’t any lemon and therefore there also isn’t any prospect of making lemonade.
The lemon that is handed over by life comes in all shapes, sizes, colours and shades. It is never as straightforward and round and plain yellow as a lemon. The lemon of life could be as huge and devastating as lost job, failed marriage, severe and sudden financial loss or as small yet severe as a moment of embarrassment, cancellation of an important appointment, unexpected delay of flight or just being stuck in a traffic jam! And the worse thing is that there is no invention that can help you squeeze the juice out of such lemons. We become happy as we fight sorrow, wealthy as we struggle to remove poverty.  We develop intimate relationships as we overcome loneliness; we produce light as we fight darkness. This means that we produce positivity in our endeavour to negativity.
Lemonade is made from lemon despite its sour taste but it is the world’s most refreshing drink despite its harsh taste. Life is full of sour things; it is full of challenges, hardships, pain and suffering. But hidden in all these are the seeds of greatest achievements, happiness and success. Life at times could be cruel and that is what makes it worth living.
“You life may be full of problems, it might have sorrow too hard to describe, you might be facing hardships that you would not even want your enemy to face in their lives. It is in our hard times that we grow towards our potential in life. Life will hand you a lemon but note that the more sour it and bigger your lemon is the tastier and bigger your lemonade will be.  Look around you and you will see that successful people made it big because they had bigger lemons and they made tasty lemonade from it in their lives,” says Hamza Akeem, an accountant.
Some people feel that if pain and hardship are required for success then why are there still people who are poor and living in harsh condition, well the answer is simple these people accept that the lemon that life has offered them is sour and nothing can be done  about it.
A lemon does not turn into lemonade all by its own, someone has to squeeze the juice out of the lemon and add other things to make lemonade. It needs faith to get the perfect lemonade, it requires careful planning and execution and patience and perseverance until the perfect lemonade is acquired.
So no matter what happens in your life and no matter how catastrophic the re occurrence is, it is each person’s responsibility to turn that experience into lemonade. No matter how much is taken away and no matter how many things you cannot do, there is always something you can do. Focus on yourself and your consciousness on that which you can do.
So when next you are faced with challenges in life not only will you become an expert in making lemonades but you will heartily welcome a lemon in your life for a blessing in disguise. So are you ready to make your lemonade in your life.