Negotiating Life’s Lemons

Lately I’ve been ruminating on the saying “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Much as I enjoy lemonade and like to consider myself a half-full-glass kind of person, I’ve been struggling with the syrupy sentimentality of this old colloquialism. Some days, it just doesn’t make sense. Sometimes the lemons are just too big to get a grip around to squeeze any kind of juice from. Sometimes I feel as if that unwieldy lemon just about flattens me.

We all feel passionate about different things in our lives, and that passion can motivate us to become better people, partners, parents, friends, citizens. When we are engaged with our intimate circle of family and friends, it is easier to act with kindness and compassion and take an active role in bettering a specific relationship or situation. When we contemplate the larger challenges of the planet and the world community, it can be overwhelming and harder to find the energy to take an active role in affecting any kind of change.

The path of Yoga leads us to the realization that we are all One. The AIDS orphan in Africa, the soldier in Israel, the insurgent in Iraq, the gang member, the displaced family from the latest natural disaster: we are One. With so much suffering in the world, it’s hard to feel the same kind of compassion for those we believe are creating distress for others as for those who are victims of their offense. I often find it easier to muster anger and judgment than to mobilize grace and forgiveness. But it is from a place of grace and forgiveness that I am able to find the energy to consciously act and not be swept away in the overwhelming feeling that the problems of the world are beyond my reach to remedy.

I believe that there are things we can all do on a daily basis that can contribute to the healing of this planet. From the simple compassion shown to a stranger in need of a hand, to the choice we make about the resources we consume and waste we create, to the effort we make to educate and inform ourselves and others, to sharing our wealth and resources with others in need, and the more magnanimous projects that extend us beyond our daily lives, we CAN make a difference. When we extend ourselves both in simple, consistent small ways as well as larger efforts, we begin to feel more a part of our world and perhaps a bit less bowled over and soured by the lemons of life.

I’ve created a list of simple things we can all do that together can make a difference. I hope you’ll consider them, and pass them on.

Small Steps to Save the World

We are all stewards of the planet and citizens of the world. When one suffers, we all do; when healing begins with us, it spreads. Commit to doing what you can to create consciousness and take action. Use your passion to make a difference. Be One with the world, and maybe, just maybe, we can be part of a great healing.