Savour your lemonade

This blog stems from me doing an assignment along with my students in my PDP (personal development profile) class. It's based on an NPR series called "This I Believe", which was begun by Edward R. Murrow in the 50's: click here to hear/read his original essay. The students, after hearing/reading several of the original and modern essays, must write and present in class one of their own. I also submit one. Here it is.

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Most everyone has heard the saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” This is what I have come to believe. Life is full of negatives, but you have to focus on the positive, learn from it, have no regrets and move forward in life. There is a lot of negative energy out there and the positive is, often times, easily overshadowed. I believe that our task in life, in order to be sincerely happy and productive, is to seek out the positive in every situation, regardless, and make it your own.

Like the change of seasons, or the cycle of birth, growth and death, it is certain that life will give you lemons; therefore, expect it, accept it, and make the best of what life gives you. Lemons are bitter, but lemonade is refreshing. So, when faced with a bushel of lemons, do not delay; rather, ignore the artificial lemonades created from concentrate, powder, or a packet. Instead, face that problem directly, and make the freshly squeezed variety. No lemonade is as precious, as quenching, or as healthy as that which comes from freshly squeezing the lemons which we are given: process them, and internalize it.

This philosophy is one that has come to guide me throughout my life; it has kept me sane, kept me alive, kept me positive, and kept me growing. And, hopefully, it has allowed me to inspire others around me. The realization that I, personally, had the ability to create lemonade was imparted to me at a young age by one of my sage great-uncles who often said to me, over my shoulder, and usually during difficult situations: “Good attitude, good results. Bad attitude, bad results.” This really used to irritate me. I would much rather have been angry than really try to focus on the reality of those and every other situation. Indeed, things get difficult, they don’t always go the way we want, but there are alternatives. Therefore, as I grew, I began to contemplate his advice. I learned, through experience and reflection, that I benefit much more, as do those around me, from a positive attitude rather than from dwelling on the negative.

I believe that no matter how massively negative any situation may seem, there is always a positive hidden therein. I believe that it is our duty to ourselves and to others, if we truly want to live a happy and productive life, that we must extract the positive from that negative, take in those experiences, and make them a part of who we are in order to have a happier and healthier self. Therefore, when served lemons, extract the sweet nectar, drink it in, and thrive from its nutritious value. Don’t be daunted by its thick, course, and frustrating exterior.