It’s Monday morning, the sun is out, and I feel GREAT! I’m hoping that at whatever time of day it is in your neck of the woods, you’re feeling absolutely fabulous, too.
So, I’m sitting here (feeling great!) wondering what inspirational thought I might offer to you today, and what do you know? I take a peak over at Curt Rosengren’s really cool blog, and find a HUGE chunk of inspirational joy right there.
The title of the post is Making Lemon Margaritas. Since I regularly keep an eye on when Curt offers a new post via my Google Reader on my home page, I had already noticed the title a couple of days ago.
(I made a specific mental note to check it out later because, frankly, lemon margaritas sound pretty yummy and if Curt was offering a special recipe, I’m there!)
Would it surprise you if I told you that Lemon Margaritas have nothing to do with sipping a refreshingly tangy, alcoholic libation with a long straw and fruity mini umbrella on a warm sandy beach somewhere overlooking the magical Ecuadorian Galapagos archipelago?
In fact, Lemon Margaritas is the title of Susan Metters new blog, and instead of being about anything remotely related to alcoholic beverages, it chronicles Susan’s diagnosis and subsequent experience with breast cancer last year at the ripe old age of 39.
Right now, you may wonder how in the world I found a "HUGE chunk of inspirational joy" from the story of a cancer survivor.
Sounds strange, I know, but it because refreshingly (just like real margaritas!) clear when you read the description of Susan’s blog:
"Cancer? Fun? Absolutely! Who says you can’t enjoy life in the midst of life’s most difficult challenges? Regardless of the catastrophe, when life hands you the proverbial lemon don’t settle for lemonade. Grab yourself some tequila, salt and a blender – then savor your lemon margarita with a smile on your face."
This is beyond mere positive thinking. No one can ‘think positively’ all day long. And I don’t think the point to abandon all restraint, kick back and throw back a few yummy margaritas.
Instead, Susan turns something that is often associated with great sadness, overwhelming helplessness and anguish, and massive feelings of defeat into a grand cause for celebration. The diagnosis also became the impetus for Susan to share her experience with the world by becoming a Seattle PI blogger, thus kickstarting the writing career she’s always wanted.
Curt Rosengren commented that receiving the news that Susan had taken a step toward building a writing career was something of a mixed blessing because she had to go through cancer to get there.
(Curt didn’t actually use the words "mixed blessing," but now that it’s come up, I wonder whether a blessing truly can be ‘mixed.’ It is either a blessing or it isn’t, right? What do you think?)
After reading Susan Metters blog (you can read her bio here), I think I have to slightly disagree with Curt’s initial assessment. I think Susan would say that the cancer is the blessing. In it, through it, and because of it, she is now discarding who she thought she was and progressively becoming more of who she really is.
Susan explains it this way:
"Some will tell you that something this monumental will change you; I tend to think it just brings out more of the person you already are. Facing my own mortality caused me to face myself. What I found was that the person who began emerging during cancer was more of the "me" I always knew was in there, but a lot of insecurities, fears, and self-expectations had been holding me back. So I decided to stop living my life by what I thought I should be doing and started living more authentically than I ever have before."
That doesn’t mean we all have to go and get cancer in order to begin to live our life authentically. Some say that we have to experience the bad in order to appreciate the good.
"No pain, No gain," right?
I’m reminded of Dr. Robert Anthony’s answer to this: "No pain, No pain." Why do people tend to struggle on purpose? I guess, we just think that’s the way we’re supposed to behave.
So, let me ask you: what "insecurities, fears, and self-expectations" are holding you back from being more of who you really are? What dreams super-excite you that you are putting on hold until just the right circumstances come along?
Take a lesson from Susan. Don’t wait around for the lemons.
Why not order your margarita pre-made?
