I’ve have always heard of the famous saying, “When life throws you lemons, you make lemonade.” And pretty much the translations goes, if and when you are going through unexpected sour times make the best of the situation. Everybody loves a glass of lemonade in the summer or winter –homemade fresh lemonade, that is. But what happens if you never made lemonade before? Like me, I never made old fashioned lemonade before. (When I say old fashion I mean making lemonade by hand without the use of technology.) However, after a very personal friend Anya taught me, I decided to give it a try and by the third attempt of making it something groundbreaking happened. Something clicked! There’s a strong correlation between making lemonade and life. The dreadful process it takes to make lemonade by hand resulting in a sweet accomplishment is the same how things that don’t come easy are also the most cherished and fruitful.
Here’s how..
INGREDIENTS
4+ Lemons
1-1.5 cups of sugar
2 liters of water
STEP 1. BUY YOUR LEMONS/CHOOSE YOUR GOAL
You can’t make lemonade without lemons. I mean, real lemons and not the concentrated lemon juice you clean your meat with. Go to your local grocery, preferably stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. You want organic lemons so you get the full health benefits and enzymes lemons have to offer but that’s optional. Buy 4+ lemons.
Many choices in life, like these lemons, choose one or more.
Choose a goal that excites you. Lemons can metaphorically be two things. It can be the situation you are in right now that you may not be fond of, or it can be your choice of goal or goals you wish to cultivate. You can pick your goals that best fits you by measuring how much of a positive feeling you get thinking about it. Believe it or not, you have as much freedom picking lemons at store as you do with your life. Often times we pick lemons for us but someone is always there to say, “Ew, those lemons?” “Your lemons are weird.” “How can you possible make lemonade with those lemons?” “You should choose these lemons they will make you rich.” “Your lemons are sinful!You’re going to hell if you make it.” I’m pretty sure we ALL witnessed this.
STEP 2. ROLL YOUR LEMONS THEN SQUEEZE/DO THE WORK
DO THE WORK AND ROLL THE DAMN LEMONS!
This is probably the most unpleasant part but the most crucial part. Why? because it requires elbow grease a lot of it. It’s the process that makes or breaks you to your perfect lemonade. What you want to do is, take the lemons and literally roll your lemons on a counter or any hard surface. Apply pressure as if you were kneading dough. What this process does is soften the lemons and get the juices flowing. I can’t be anymore literal in this process. As the lemons you bought are probably hard and cold if you were to cut and squeeze you would barely get any juice. You may think it’s the size of the lemons and you have no juicer…nope. When you feel its soft enough cut and squeeze. (Warning: lemon juice will pour out of the lemons when cutting. I advise to cut over pitcher to get every last drop)
Watch the Juice flow!
After you choose you’re goal now it’s time to do the work. This is where you would be met with the most challenges. Discipline kicks in around this time and usually its the longest process. For most is the time while in college, the self promotion to become a rapper/singer to get signed, networking, auditioning, etc. What ever it may be it’s the process between choosing the goal and getting the goal. This is also the process where we meet with adversity, challenges, procrastination, resistance, writers block, or just down right give up! Don’t you do that, now! Do not give up! Your hands will be red and tired and you will be sweating, however, it will be sweet at the end.
STEP 3. ADD SUGAR, WATER, AND STIR/MISSION ACCOMPLISH!
This is the easy part. What I like about lemonade is that you can design to fit for you. Not everybody likes the same lemonade. Some like it more tart then others while others like a blend between sweet and tart. The water sugar lemon ratio is different but usually people go for 1 to 1.5 cups of sugar for 2 liters of water with four or more lemons. You can do the same ratio to even one gallon of water and 6 or 7 lemons. What is also optional is to add the lemon peels inside for that traditional look.
This is that feeling you get when you are in the recording studio after many months of mixtapes, practicing the lines of your first big movie, dancing in your favorite company, sitting it the office of your own business. It’s the place when you are in your goal and its accomplished. When going through step 2 finally paid off. However, it is also the time for self reflection. Like tasting the lemonade to make sure it’s just right, this is the same time you start to master yourself in any goal. Making sure everything is right before you reap the benefits. Examples would be: Checking out the interior design of your favorite car/test driving, Walking through the house of your dreams before you buy it, making sure every song is perfect for the album, all your moves are correct before going on stage, proof reading your own book, and so on.
STEP 4. DRINK AND ENJOY/ RELAX
This is the best part of it all. The part when you get to drink the creation you made and it taste so swell. It was made perfect for you by you. The best is sharing your happiness and seeing the smile on how it taste good. If it’s to light or to tart for someone else, it doesn’t matter as much simply because it’s perfect for you. You rolled the lemons, you picked out the lemons, you squeezed, and so on. You did the work to get what you wanted and it taste blissful. At least, that’s my revelation from this. It was during step 2 I was saying to myself, “I’m rolling these fucking lemons, this lemonade better taste so fucking good I swear!” It was when I took my first sip that I couldn’t help my smile and be joyous. Had I only added sugar water and lemon juice ( the easy way) I would be missing out on so much more. It makes sense how things that don’t come easy are the most cherished from even as simple as making lemonade.
Get ready to taste creation!!
The crazy part is that in life, we make lemonade for others by force and don’t get the chance to sip the greatness of the result. That’s like making parts for million dollar cars and never able to ride in them. Many people are not sipping their own creation because they are to busy getting paid to manifest other peoples creations. In the end its not bad. One thing I can say is that, if you don’t know what you want from life there is a structure already made for you to follow…and that’s called society. It will you which lemons to pick, how to make it, how it’s suppose to taste, and it’s benefit.
Lastly, If I were to sell homemade lemonade I’m charging people money for this labor! word, yo!
Me Sardonic, Me Sarcastic 