Last week, I spent time at Girls Inc. conducting a workshop on “Looking On The Bright Side — or Making Lemonade From Lemons”.

We talked about ways in which we can turn negative situations into positive ones and exchanged stories about how we’d done this at various times in our lives.

Since the Screaming Pillow came about as a result of a tragic event, I wanted these young women to understand that I empathized with their circumstances and that there are tools to use which can make a bad situation better.

Like the starfish on the beach (”it makes a difference to that one…”), we can all make a difference every minute of every day. Whether it’s smiling at someone instead of complaining, offering a helping hand, reaching out to someone in need, donating your used stuff to people less fortunate….the gesture doesn’t have to be huge; just a token with the message that you care.

As I put together this workshop, I reached out to people around the world who shared stories with me about how THEY had turned their lemons into lemonade and I heard many wonderful tales from far and wide. Whether it was a layoff which resulted in a new business idea or an illness that had opened up new opportunites, there were so many diverse stories that warmed my heart.

I’d love to hear more of these stories so please email me with YOUR tale of turning lemons into lemonade and I’ll publish some of them on my website. Send your story to me at info@brightsidegrp.com