Throw back those damn lemons

I remember when Beth said this in the interview and I felt an immediate jolt. I have felt this exact feeling -that life was happening TO me and not FOR me more times than I would like to admit. It was these times where I wasn’t an active participant in my life and felt personally victimized by everything and everyone around me. It made me take on this attitude of “Why me?!” 

When I was younger, I always hated that saying - “When life hands you lemons - make lemonade.” I didn’t want to make lemonade- I wanted to throw back the damn lemons - I didn’t want these things that I was expected to accept and figure out how to fit into my life- no thank you! I made life happen for me. As I have gotten older and maybe a bit more hardened or - let’s face it- worn down by life- I have started taking the lemons and trying to make some lemonade.

Don’t get me wrong- being optimistic and finding silver linings are important - but when we constantly just acquiesce to everything coming at us, stop questioning, and start blindly accepting - we start to become passive participants. From there, it doesn’t take long to feel like life is just happening to you and that feeling of being stuck, and victimized starts to surface and take over. 

It is hard to bounce back from that. It is hard to take a step back and realize that you CAN correct the course.  You can change what you’re doing, where you’re going, and ultimately who you want to be. Beth was so right when she said that our experiences shape us. Absolutely it does. But, we have some say in how it shapes us. Will we let it destroy our self esteem? Will we let it prevent us from loving another person again? Will we let it determine our success?

I hope you are  inspired to take a deep dive and get rid of things that you have just accepted and that don’t serve you, your family, or your businesses. Give those damn lemons back and start making life happen to you. 

XOXO,

Dana