LIVE. LAUGH. LOVE.

Oh where to begin...life can be a thorn in your side (or in my case, a nail) leaving you feeling defeated and full of self doubt and disappointment. YOU ARE NOT ALONE! But you need to know one thing-the only way to make lemonade out of those nasty molded lemons life throws your way, is to change your attitude about it all. You see, it's not necessarily about the situation you find yourself in, but the way you respond to it.

Let me explain...Do not expect to be treated fairly in this life. My 43 years have taught me that. Just get over it now. If you start each day acknowledging the fact that you will more than likely hit a "pothole" or two, then you are already a step ahead. But here is where it gets tricky...

When you are cruising along and catching every green light in life with no traffic around and everyone is following the rules and all is good, out of nowhere one of those proverbial potholes makes it's presence known in the form of a flat tire. Now, you are allowed to be upset and maybe a bit scared or worried, but don't live there. Pack up your bags and move on. May your response be "I won't let this slow me down." Choose to see it as a life lesson....hitting the pothole made you aware that all 4 tires were dangerously bald and needing replacing. Or, think how this tiny pothole saved you from another more serious pothole down the road, or see it as a challenge to be a crying shoulder for a friend or a trusted listener to people's issues because you have survived these potholes.

It's all in the way you respond. Now, I don't know about you, but I think it takes some training and self discipline to be able to smile and skip away from a "flat tire by a pothole" kind of day, but you can do it! It's not easy everyday, and some potholes are bigger and deeper than others...the days you want to kick and scream and cry and shake your fist at God and accuse Him of not loving you or being there for you. The struggle is real, I know firsthand. Suffering with my disease and illnesses, I have no choice but to respond to those rough days, the days you wish you could have a do-over, with a positive outlook and remind myself that it's a part of life. And you know what is even better, pushing through those seemingly impossible days, makes those "perfect" days all the more delicious...it reminds me of sour ball candy. At first it's so sour and tingles your tongue and you pucker and struggle to keep it in your mouth, but if you push through for a few seconds, you find yourself beginning to enjoy the second layer of the candy bc it is sweet and tasty and brings pleasure to your taste buds and you realize that it was a great piece of candy after all.