Lemons to Lemonade. Addie Johnson
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First published in 2010 by
Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC
With offices at:
500 Third Street, Suite 230
San Francisco, CA 94107
www.redwheelweiser.com
Copyright © 2010 by Addie Johnson
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission
in writing from Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC. Reviewers may quote brief passages.
ISBN: 978-1-57324-469-5
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
available upon request.
Cover and text design by Jessica Dacher.
Production Editor: Michele Kimble
Proofreader: Katherine Wright
Typeset in Baufy and Exuberance Primary.
Printed in Hong Kong
GWP
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
4 Introduction: When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.
6 Sweet and Sour: How You Look at Things
28 Simple Pleasures and Hidden Treasures
46 Happy, Healthy, Having a Blast
74 The Magic of Making Do and Making Things Better
When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.
Lemons are my favorite fruit. But even I can't sit down, slice
open a lemon and dig in. A lemon is a fruit that has to become
something else, enhance something, change something, make
something happen. Can you think of another fruit that is almost
completely inedible on its own, that becomes so divine in com-
bination and transformation? Lemon meringue pie, lemon bars
and cookies, lemon garnishing seafood or squeezed into sauc-
es, lemon in fresh hot tea or squeezed into a pitcher of sweet
iced tea. Not to mention fresh lemonade, that sweet and sour
masterpiece that can change your life on a hot summer day.
4
What about those metaphorical lemons that life is bound to
hand you now and then? Acidic, sour, trying times that you
just can't seem to enjoy or digest. The most successful and
happy among us never miss out on a chance to turn sour into
sweet, hard times into learning experiences. While it may not
be easy, we know that seeing those lemons as pure potential
is the way to go. Adversity spurs creativity; challenge breeds
success.
When you're feeling surrounded by useless lemons, never
forget that you have some choices. When you're stuck in a
difficult time, you can change your outlook and your circum-
stances, you can stay healthy and surround yourself with love,
you can seek out and find the hidden treasure all around you
in everyday things, and, perhaps most importantly, you can
figure out how to be grateful for any and everything that comes
your way. And you never know, maybe all it will take is a little
water, sugar, and ice before you're feeling much, much better.
5
Positivity
Did anyone ever tell you the glass is half full? Somebody
told me once it depends whether you're pouring or drinking.
Seriously, though, if you can figure out how to get optimis-
tic and stay that way, you're home free. I'm not saying your
problems are over, but simply looking at the world through
rose-colored specs means that half your problems will look like
exciting challenges, and the other half you'll probably realize
aren't problems at all, just facts of life.
7
I can think of people who have everything they could ever
want and are still miserable. I can think of people just scraping
by whose joy for life overflows onto everyone around them.
Sometimes we take for granted the great pleasure we can take
from very little things. Sometimes, too, we forget to give our-
selves permission to enjoy over-the-top abundance, as if we
somehow didn't deserve it. Most important, life is best when we
set our judgments aside and savor the moment of whatever it
is that the universe is dishing out, in big or small servings.
9
We're surrounded by beauty of all kinds. It can perk us up, calm
us down, and even heal our bodies and souls. Getting attuned
to this splendor is a great way to pass the