Lemon Cream Pie: The Solution to Life's Sour Moments

Quite possibly one my favorite desserts (and there are many) is Lemon Cream Pie. Follow this link to the recipe I prefer: Lemon Pie.

Now, of course - I only use the base with authentic Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk, fresh squeezed lemon juice and  I always, always,  ALWAYS experiment with toppings and crusts. Sometimes, I whip up fresh whipped cream and put it over a layer of strawberries in a graham cracker crust.

It's good, don't turn your nose up.

I've lined it with kiwis and put it in a shortbread cookie crust.

The point - I always start with lemons. Sour, tart, bitter lemons.

I have never been one to say - "make lemonade out of lemons" but always say make a lemon pie.

There is much more effort in lemon pie vs. lemonade.

I have to reach for many more ingredients with lemon pie vs. lemonade.

Lemon pie is just more sturdy than lemonade.

Often times - depending on who I'm sharing with - I solicit feedback for the lemon pie surprises and last time I checked - no one asks some else how the make lemonade.

Are you following me?

When you have that crappy meeting, stinging conversation or devestating news - what do you do with it?

Do you mix it with water and sugar (maybe vodka) and hope for the best?

I can tell you what I do. I pour over the details. I throw out what was not worth keeping and let the things that bothered me most, MOTIVATE me to dig my heals into my brilliant idea and figure out a different way to serve it up OR I challenge myself to blow it up and make it even better.

By no means, do I serve up a glass of lemon water with a little sugar.

Life does throw us many lemons.

Next time you receive one - what are you going to do with it?

Well... What is the barrier?

Interestingly enough - today, I asked someone I care about this very question. It started very innocently and yielded itself into the title of this blog.

What did they really want to do with themselves?

Pretty concise answer. No hesistation

I would venture to say no less than 50% of my network know exactly what they want to be doing.

Well, what is the barrier?

Silence.

In the uncomfortable quiet - it occurred to me that I need to ask myself this same question.

What is my barrier to what I want?

Is it real or imagined?

I am one year into my journey... in fact, it's later this week I will celebrate the anniversary of the start of my blog and 80 posts later - much progress has been made.

I've narrowed my focus for my ultimate dream. Still not sharing completely to the world yet. Soon enough.

I've led workshops, spoke at schools and conferences - all without much proactivity on my part.

I've won elected office and serve my village.

With all the progress - as I probed this friend - I found myself faced with answering the question for me.

I don't have the complete answer.

Of course I have the standard, pat - bad economy - no crazy moves, yadda yadda yadda.

So this week, I will seek the answer to my own question for me. I found the image above to represent my "wall or barrier" Why? Because I can see around it. I could possibly scale it with the right equipment. It is not insurmountable to me. Now I will tackle it.

What about you?

What is keeping you from your dream?

What is the barrier?

Authentically Stumped But Wanting To Post

So many thoughts, so little to tie them together.

The continued fruits of perseverance...

My fleeting fantasy to move to Mexico - prompted partially by the weather - no sun really depresses me and causes irrational outbursts

Major changes on my team at work that are still pending...

Yet another invite to speak at a conference...

Moments of my babies growing up killing me...

Less and less time to do some things I REALLY want to do...

So tonight, instead of posting some great insights that will enhance peoples lives (never my point but often the result of my expressions) I want to encourage people to embrace these moments of scattered thoughts and unfocused energy.

With the wicked pace we all keep - it is great to not have a focus, just riffing the things that are going through your mind. Dissecting some - forgetting or acting on others.

To me, that is inspiring.

And reassuring that we all have these moments and are not too deep to share them with others

The Fruits of Perseverance

This week has delivered me some very cool and unexpected victories - fruits, if you will.

First, something that I convinced myself (and had third party validation as well) would NEVER happen - actually happened Wednesday night, hours after me wrangling in my mind all the reasons why it would not happen.

Coincidence? No, but possibly a fluke.

Grateful, I pressed forward and even spread the good news to a few close friends.

Then tonight, on an equally silver platter - another very clear demonstration to me that Wednesday's revelation was not a fluke. With concise and intentional meaning, the proverbial "other shoe dropped" in the ongoing journey toward healing and restoration.

We are one year, two months and 10 days into this journey.

The message is this... What are you striving for? Or better stated what have you given up on?

I blogged here about persistence in the spring, see the post here.

Perseverance embodies persistence as the dictionary says that perseverance is the "steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose or a state - especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles or discouragement".

Too many times we give up before the harvest comes in. Use this fall to recommit yourself to something you've yearned for...

an improved interpersonal relationship

a new career path

losing the final 15 pounds

Whatever it may be... ante up and start again. I am smiling broadly thinking of moments over the last 14 months where I was thisclose to throwing in the towel and didn't.

The fruits of perseverance are too sweet to pass up but they cannot be enjoyed until they are ripe, mature and ready to be eaten.