Lemons Don't Have To Be Bitter

Anyone who has ever bitten into a lemon (not sure why anyone would?) knows just how bitter it can be. Lemons are naturally bitter and the only way to really enjoy the taste is if it is balanced with a sweetener of some kind. A good example is lemonade, which is both tart and sweet -- but tastes great!

Life is also filled with bitter lemons, but that does not mean that life has to be bitter. We have the power to turn the bitterness of life into sweet tasting lemonade. It really is our choice.  We can either choose to suck on the bitterness of life's lemons or turn them into a time of refreshing. Life is what we make of it to a large degree.

Pastor Chuck Swindoll once said that life is 10% circumstances and 90% our reaction to those circumstances. I'm not sure of the exact percentages, but I do know that how we react to life's circumstances impacts how we feel and even how we act.  If we perceive that our circumstances are simply too great to overcome, we will feel as though we have lost control.  This will lead to hopelessness and despair. Those feelings will produce matching behaviors as well.  We will act hopelessly, which will create even greater feelings of hopelessness. It's a vicious cycle.

Yes, how we view our circumstances affects us in profound ways.  That is why it is important to think differently about circumstances that we perceive negatively.  Let me illustrate what I am talking about. Both Tim and Jerry enjoy playing golf. They are quite competitive (competition will be a feature of an upcoming blog!) and play regularly.  Every Saturday they wake up early and meet at the golf course for 18 holes. Unfortunately the weather doesn’t always cooperate with their plans. When it rains, Jerry gets really upset. He is frustrated and unhappy because he feels that the rain has ruined his weekend fun.

Tim, on the other hand, has an entirely different outlook on life and embraces his circumstances. Rather than getting upset, he changes his plans to accommodate the rain. He goes and plays chess with another close friend or he stays in bed, drinks coffee and reads a book while listening to the rain dance playfully on the window outside of his room. He is content with his circumstances and has a great deal more peace in his life.

Why is one of them happy while the other is sad? Their circumstances are exactly the same so there must be another reason.  The answer has to do with their perception of their situation.  Tim has learned to view his circumstances optimistically and bends with the changing circumstances.  He makes lemonade!  Jerry, on the other hand, has a sour disposition because he has not learned how to deal with the lemons in his life. His inability to experience true, lasting happiness has a lot to do with how he perceives life and circumstances. 

Like Jerry and Tim, you also have a choice when life gives you lemons.  Remember, lemons don't have to be sour. You can make lemonade!  Turn that bitterness into sweetness and you will begin to look at life differently and experience greater joy, happiness, and well-being.

If you have learned how to make lemonade from sour lemons, leave a comment to encourage others.  Let's turn all of life's lemons into lemonade one lemon at a time!