At first glance, the saying “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” sounds like something my 9-year-old would say. Yet there is a profound truth in it. Let’s dive in.
A lemon, as we all know, is sour by itself. Most people would not relish biting into one. Yet, if you squeeze it into a jar, add some sugar, water, and maybe a sprig of mint, you have a delightful and refreshing drink. The thing is that the lemon, though sour, is an essential ingredient in the recipe. Likewise, when hardships come our way, if taken in the right spirit, they become the very thing needed to make a positive change in our lives.
You may be thinking, “Well, that sounds nice, and all, yet this sounds easier said than done.” Life tests each one of us uniquely, in accordance with our own specific needs for development. Let’s just say the grass is never greener on the other side of the fence. You could be living in a Beverly Hills mansion, have a beautiful spouse, three lovely children, and bucket loads of money in the bank account, and still, inwardly be miserable.
So, how do we add the “sugar” to our challenges to shift them into something positive? Jewelweed often grows near poison ivy and can be used to soothe poison ivy irritation. In indigenous cultures, it is said that the cure often grows near the poison. In other words, we do not always need to look far and wide to find the answers to our difficulties. Oftentimes, the answer is already inside of you.
Do you have someone in your life with whom you can share openly, who will listen carefully, and give you honest feedback? If the answer is no, I would highly encourage you to find one. If you brought a sprig of jewelweed, for instance, suddenly close to your eyes, you would not be able to tell what it is. It is only by pulling it back a foot or so that you would be able to see it for what it is.
Sometimes we are too close to our own challenges, which can make it difficult to gain perspective. Sometimes, we may not be gaining insight because we are not asking the right questions. Having a spiritual “buddy” can help you see things outside the lens of your own perspective and help provide constructive feedback. The key, though, is that we must keep an open mind and heart to receive guidance.
Life can be like lemonade if you combine the sweet with the sour, for often the very things we resist become the ingredients for our next step in our journey.
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