When Life Gives You Lemons Get A Cookbook!

What exactly is the recipe for making lemonade out of lemons? We’ve all heard the saying, but what is the formula? The ingredients seem to be simple: lemons, water and sugar. How much of each do we put in? Too many lemons and the sour taste is overwhelming. Too much water and there is barely any favor at all. Too much sugar and you’re at the other end of the unpalatable spectrum. The key is balance. It’s also a matter of personal taste.

This applies to life as well. Some people will experience an unpleasant situation, hardship or uncomfortable condition differently than someone else going through seemingly the same thing. No two situations are identical. Even though there are zillions of lemons growing in the world, each tree has its own unique position in the sun and particular chemistry. This justifies individuals’ in their right to say, “You’re not in MY shoes; you don’t know what it is like for ME!” It’s important to acknowledge and respect this. As people, we are similar, however, we are not exactly the same.

On the other hand, if we buy a bag of lemons—each harvested from different trees—we recognize them all as lemons. Likewise, it can be helpful to utilize some of the strategies other’s have used to overcome, manage or get through life’s challenges. Though you may prefer honey in your drink and someone else agave or stevia, you may both be able to encourage another to do some research on their choice to use aspartame (and they do the same for you about your preferences). In addition to this the recipe has to be adaptable for each alternative ingredient. Some substitutes create a whole other beverage or something undrinkable; and you’d have to ask yourself, “Is it lemonade I’m trying to make? Is it lemonade I really want and need?” Oftentimes people get stuck in their familiar ways of dealing with their problems. Ask yourself, “How’s this working for me?” Some are so stuck they need someone else to shout to them, “That really isn’t working for you! Why do you keep putting flour in the mix?” You have to be open to listening to an objective voice of reason and sanity, if your concoction isn’t turning out delectable.

No benefit in fooling yourself; or pretending to fit into the top lemonade makers club. What if you know you want something sweet and tangy, but you really don’t want a drink? You know you need something you can sink your teeth into—but what? This is when you grab a cookbook or google “100 things you can do with lemons.” There is no need to keep trying to make lemonade out of your lemons, if it just isn’t satisfying your hunger. With a different perspective you can learn how to incorporate that flour or leave it out altogether. You may discover the recipe for lemon bars or lemon cake. You may also realize you were going for the sweet stuff because that’s all you knew. With an open mind for guidance through the unfamiliar ingredients and measurements, you may find inner satisfaction from a lemon chicken or salmon dish, you never thought of trying (because sweet is more of a familiar comforting go to taste for you). It’s not what you were going for, but it fits your needs. You also learn to eat the meat and spit out the bones.

In the attempt to be optimistic, some of us take our lemons and keep trying to squeeze juice from a too dry fruit. We’ve all had that lemon. It’s tough, unripe, mealy, and doesn’t give a single drop. Throw it out! Stop banging your head against a problem you cannot transform. No matter how great your ingredients, if your lemon cake is burnt and charred, putting some icing on it will not make it delicious. The same in life. If it’s really over, it’s over; whether it’s a job, relationship, money you’ve loss, etc. You have to start again. Before you do, check your measurements, and use a timer. Maybe you just need to be a bit more attentive. A watched pot is slow to boil, and an unwatched pot always burns.

You don’t have to make lemonade or anything out of your lemons. You can slice them and eat them like an orange. There are those who do just that, and actually enjoy it. They like that tart rush. Their taste buds come alive and they pucker up as if to kiss what the moment is bringing, full on the lips. They love the challenge. They face it raw, unsweetened and undiluted.

Life will have its sweet, salty, bitter, and sour flavors. Sweet is the first taste—as in mother’s milk. It’s natural to want to take the edge of the other three and seek a balance you can handle or believe is best for you. You just don’t have to limit yourself, by doing only what you know. If you don’t know how to mix it up or find alternatives, seek out a variety or “recipes”. Really examine your progress, productions and outcomes. The compilation of your experience and knowledge may one day be the “cookbook” someone else is looking for.

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