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Catherine J.

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When in your life have you been handed a bunch of lemons, yet managed to make lemonade?

I had a professor once who used this expression in a class and explained what it meant. In your lives, he said, at least once or maybe more than once, you will be handed a bunch of lemons. Some event will happen, not your fault, but you will have to deal with it. Maybe illness, divorce, getting fired, or some other sad unexpected event. When that happens, he said, the best thing you can do is just make lemonade. I have often thought back on his words in my life, as I tried to make lemonade. I believe it is inspiring to consider approaching such events, as serious as they may be, as puzzles to solve, rather than life crushing happenings.

Topics: depression making lemonade overcoming tragedy personal strength succeeding against odds survival winning
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  • greg dahlen 30+

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    Feb 10 2013: A tenet I've lived by for a long time. Just keep doing it over and over. Another way to see it is that as you try to turn lemons into lemonade you're going to learn a lot of cool stuff. I'd like to give specific examples but they take so much background. For instance, I believe I've been harassed by police helicopters, it's never been proven, but I believe it. As I've talked to the police about it, trying to ascertain the truth and get it stopped, I've learned a great deal about how the police helicopter division functions, which I never would have learned if I hadn't thought I was being harassed.
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    Grace Greene 10+

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    Feb 10 2013: The best thing that ever happened to me in life was the worst thing that could happen to me in life. I learned things that I did not know were there to be learned. What a blessing it turned out to be - WHEN I opened my mind.
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    Kate Blake 50+

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    Feb 10 2013: What a great saying Catherine! I believe that the curved balls or bunch of lemons that life passes our way are the lessons we need. By dealing with them skilfully, facing them and taking on the challenge is a much healtheir outlook than being overwhelmed, walking away, burying our head, etc.

    Life will often give us a bunch of lemons and by making that lemonade we keep a more level head, more even emotions and then we can come up with more creative solutions!

    Thanks for sharing that and welcome to TED conversations.
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