Lemons to Lemonade

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”
—Unknown

The person with an easy life is the exception rather than the rule. At some point in life, most people find themselves in a state of depression or on the edge of ruin. This may be the very time when something wonderful can happen. It is often when we hit our lowest point, when we have nothing else to lose, that we are willing to take those risks that we would otherwise deem to be too foolish or too dangerous. Adversity may bring out the best in us. John Bunyan wrote the classic Pilgrim’s Progress after being imprisoned for his religious beliefs. O. Henry (William Sydney Porter), the great short story writer, discovered his writing talent while in prison. Charles Dickens had a tragic first romance and, drawing on his personal life experience, produced the story of David Copperfield.

Beethoven was deaf, Milton was blind, and Helen Keller was deaf, mute, and blind. Yet, their contributions to the world live on. These people with severe handicaps became overcomers. Life had given them little, but they made the most of what they had. Perhaps you will not face these particular handicaps. However, what if you were fired or laid off? What if you were to lose a loved one or all of your wealth? What if you were physically or emotionally handicapped? Consider how much you could contribute to the world if you pushed aside those things that are holding you back. Can you, like those individuals mentioned above, overcome your shortcomings and release the power of your talents?

Consider This: Unleash the talents within you. Overcome those areas in your life that you feel are “handicaps.” Succeed despite those things that would hold you back.

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Success Is Hard Work

A young man was walking down the streets of New York when he stopped a lady and asked, “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” The woman answered, “Practice, practice, practice.”
—Anonymous

What makes one person successful while another can make only modest gains? Often we see only the successful person’s innate talents as the answer. We often think that if someone is not blessed with talent, there is no amount of hard work that can make a difference. However, studies have shown that this is not correct; there is more to success than talent. In fact, the reason for most success is often good old-fashioned hard work. In his book Developing Talent in Your Children, Benjamin Bloom reported the results of a five-year study that was undertaken to discover what made some people extraordinary successful. The study consisted of detailed research into the lives of 120 of the nation’s top artists, athletes, and scholars.

Bloom was surprised to find that natural abilities played only a small part in the development of those individuals. As children, they were often mediocre musicians, baseball players, or math students, but Bloom found that they possessed a powerful drive to succeed. They practiced the piano hours every day, rose at 5:30 every morning to swim, or spent hours alone working on science projects. Parental support was also a key factor. The parents of the successful individuals had exposed their children to great ideas and influential persons, and many had made sacrifices to ensure that their offspring received necessary training.

Consider This: Opportunity for success often comes as the result of hard work. Are you preparing yourself for opportunity?