Reacting to You.

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

-Mother Teresa

Life doesn't give me lemons.

I make them.

We all do.

Life happens whether we want it to or not. The lemons come in when we make a problem out of it.

Admittedly (and unashamedly), I've given myself more lemons than deserved at times. But, you know what? I learned from it. I grew from it.

There were times that I used to call myself a victim. Not only did I suffer from it, but I caused a lot of people around me to feel miserable, too. Guess what? That was just one giant lemon I put in my way.

Plenty of times (past, present, and undoubtedly future) I have reacted irrationally to situations that were out of my control, and even to some that I had complete control over. More of those little yellows.

There have been words said and arguments fought that needed to occur for my progression. However, the lasting anger and grudge-holding was unnecessary and -- you guessed it, lemons. Lemons everywhere.

Then, I decided to let go. It's so much easier that way; those lemons that I created? Poof. Gone.

No more frustration, no more anger, no more sadness. Just love. Understanding. Hope that others can find a way to live happily, too.

Of course, I have to keep reminding myself to see it that way.

We all do.

In the end...

I am only a victim to myself. No one else.

It's not about you anyway.