by Edie Pereira Hulbert

They say "When you get Lemons, Make Lemonade." Now who the "they" is who started that statement, I have no clue but, I know I have heard it many times during my lifetime and it has become a great metaphor for me. Let's take a look at the beautiful part of the lemons that make the thirst quenching lemonade . . . it's the pulp. The pulp contains the flavor and the juice. Isn't this true about life? The pulp of life, I believe to be our experiences and the happenings of the day. How we interpret what happens is equaled to the squeezing of the lemon. Will it be bitter or sweet? Will the natural bitterness be what you really need to remove the thirst? Can we find a way to add a little natural sugar to make it drinkable in the end? All of these are thought-provoking questions.

Life has a magnificent way of giving us exactly what we need when we need it. Unfortunately many of us fight with the various experiences (lemons) instead of rolling with them (making lemonade). As a coach I have had many conversations with clients about "surrender" or "letting go". Their immediate reaction is that of loss; loss of power and/or loss of control. Initially it is a challenge for people to experience surrender and letting go. As they learn the positive power in each of those words though, it becomes easier. A lovely piece about being a Coach is watching as the client discovers that it is in the letting go that we are naturally able to receive. And as they develop their muscle in embracing their frailties, more and more great things happen. In a recent conversation with a potential client, he was expressing his challenge with what he called sales and marketing and he explained that he felt the block was success reluctance. I told him I didn't believe him. He initially looked at me strangely and exclaimed that it was fear of rejection - and again, I explained that I didn't believe him. Given that he has become an avid student of personal development, the light bulb went on when he said "Oh I know, it all boils down to belief in self." How true! How true! In the end, it's all about loving and believing in your self. This is the natural sweetener that makes the juice drinkable.

I've learned that when life gives me a curve, I can roll with it rather than resisting it. It's been a hard lesson to fully embrace and I still have my moments when I question the curves I am given. The road of life will have hills, mountains, winding roads, straight roads with sharp turns, and much much more. All of this is needed to make great lemonade. Enjoy the process, smile often and love yourself; the lemonade gets sweeter as you get more experience.

Edie Pereira Hulbert can be reached at http://www.spiritofsmallbusiness.com

What curves have you been given lately? What are you currently resisting? Stop for a moment and celebrate each experience. I mean really celebrate it! Throw a party within yourself and get excited that these are the exact things you needed to make the changes you have been thinking about. Now, think of at least one way to make the lemonade taste sweeter and take action!

Note from Coach Andrea: On June 2nd I broke my left ankle while out running with my two dogs. Edie's words ring especially true to me. I have gone from the stage of fighting that this happened to acceptance and opening my eyes and heart as to what is possible with my new way of transporting myself. (And sometimes I find myself back at the beginning of that spectrum but it's not so strong.) I have learned that: slower works, asking for help generally gets results, asking for help with a smile and or laugh gets even better results, being in good shape makes it easier to get in and out of the bathtub, choosing what really is important to accomplish on a daily basis is a must, listening to your body and what it needs to be taken care of speeds the healing, and a new use for chopsticks to reach inside my cast to scratch an itch.

July 21, 2005
Pounce on a Project for July

Last month the focus of our call was cleaning up the piles on our desk. We started the day with the quote, "Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up." -- A. A. Milne. So if you want to organize with some fun and companionship, join us in Pounce on a Project on Thursday, July 21st, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Eastern. We will join as a group by phone and declare what you want to accomplish: putting together a new marketing piece, finishing that client project, backing up your computer before you buy a new one, making those cold calls, organizing your office, simplifying your filing system, or cleaning under your bed.

During the morning, the group will gather by phone a few times to check progress and get any support needed to finish with a bang. At noon, the group will celebrate their accomplishments. Who says projects have to be boring and tedious? Bring your lightness and fun and join us for the energization.

To sign up or learn more, call or e- mail Andrea by noon on July 20th. Feel free to share this with friends and co-workers, the more the merrier. (Cost of the program is only the cost of long distance phone calls.)

Coach Andrea's Coaching Tip of the Week is brought to you by Andrea Novakowski, Master Certified Coach who provides Business and Personal Coaching to Corporations, Businesses, and Individuals. Andrea is a professional coach who partners with people to set goals and create momentum to produce effective results in their business and/or personal lives.

Andrea is available for individual coaching. If you are serious about reaching your goals and living with greater fulfillment and satisfaction, consider using a coach. To schedule a COMPLIMENTARY initial consultation, send an e-mail to Andrea at
andrea@coachandrea.com.

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Coach Andrea
Focusing your vision, achieving results

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