Lynn Terry - When Life Hands You Lemons…
Lemons
Hey all. As mentioned a few days ago, I have officially deemed the month of May to be Lynn Terry Month. In that article I wrote that I would periodically post lessons learned from Lynn in the years that I have been reading about her online exploits. Now remember, these “lessons” are my own reflections of what I have picked up on through Lynn’s many Blog postings and interviews and in no way does Lynn Terry have any influence, apart from her writings of course, on what I choose to write about or reflect upon. That being said, here we go.
As my subject line states, when life hands you lemons make lemonade. In Lynn’s case however, she’s gone the distance and not only has made Lemonade from the Lemons that life has offered her at one time or another, but also Lemon Pudding, Lemon Tarts and Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie in Toasted Pecan Crust. She has gone through many of life’s ups and downs and has come out on top smiling. It hasn’t been easy I’m sure, but Lynn seems to be the type of person who has a dogged tenacity and spirit to succeed at all that she does, and her current business model and independent lifestyle is a reflection of that tenacity. More importantly, she has done it all on her own. Sure she has had individuals she has looked to for guidance, people like Rosalind Gardner, Wilie Crawford, John Reese and the woman who probably started it all, Lynn’s Grandmother. But, with the exception of her Grandmother, I’m sure Lynn would have just been as successful as she is now if none of those individuals existed. Why? Because Lynn embraces personal/individual responsibility and accountability alongside a strong work ethic. In the early years, with mouths to feed and a roof to provide, Lynn had no choice but to push back the self-doubt, and possibly self-pity, and tackle her troubles the best way she could.
About a month or so ago, in a private webinar with her Brainstorming Elite Members, Lynn confided to us how she went from being so broke that she could not afford a two way trip to buy groceries for her children. With all of seven dollars to her name, it was either spend the money on gas or on groceries. Yet to buy groceries she would have to make two trips, one into town, and one back, but had only enough gas for one. She then told us how she desperately worked out a solution that eventually brought her to where she is today. I will keep the details in that private webinar session private. But suffice it to say, it was an inspiring story that I am sure had a lot of us in tears….myself included…and yes, I am man enough to admit it! Although, I also start to cry during some McDonalds commercials so go figure..:)
Now of course we all have those moments when are backs are up against the wall. Where we wonder how much more of this we can take? It is at those moments that we are defined by what we do or what we DON”T do. It is at these times when we need to realize that to turn the Lemons into Lemonade, we must use the tork of personal responsibility to squeeze every last drop from said Lemons. Personally, I have run into a few hiccups in my life and have had the good fortune to be able to pick myself up and dust myself off to the benefit of my life, both professional and personal. Like Lynn, I have had to roll with the punches and come out hitting a few times. So believe me when I say, if I can do it, you can do it…:)
So what have I learned from Lynn Terry in all of this?
- Know your strengths and how best to utilize and exploit them when needed.
- Practice personal responsibility ’cause your life is your own.
- Have a disciplined work ethic (this is especially important because eventually you won’t have to work as hard to maintain your income).
- Rely on yourself first, others later.
- Never give up.
- Have a deep sense of where you want your life to go, then work on getting there. If you are unsure of where/who you want to be, how can you know what to do to get there.
- Be grateful of what you have and work on keeping it that way.
- If all else fails, have a full tank of gas and keep more than seven dollars in your purse/wallet at all times…:)
If you have anything to add, please feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Take care everyone and all the best towards your success.
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May 5th, 2009 at 7:53 am
What an incredible post, Lyle… Thank you.
This particular point really stood out to me: “Have a deep sense of where you want your life to go, then work on getting there. If you are unsure of where/who you want to be, how can you know what to do to get there.”
For a long time I was simply responding or reacting to whatever life threw my way. I used to jokingly call myself the Queen of Adversity. There were so many things happening outside my control - how could I possibly do anything *but* deal with the crisis at hand?!
It finally hit me that while I couldn’t control outside events, decisions, influences etc… I wasn’t in control period. I was not doing anything with purpose or intent, other than making money and getting by - and reacting to things that happened all the way around me.
Getting proactive about my direction, getting specific about my goals, and coming to understand that there’s more to life than just waking up to make money to go back to bed every day… was a MAJOR turning point in my life.
If I could offer ONE piece of advice, it would be this: Get a vision of yourself 10 years from now.
Best,
Lynn Terry
May 5th, 2009 at 10:29 am
Hi Lynn and thank you as well for the wonderful, and powerful comment. It’s a great addition to the post and hopefully those in similar life situations can find some way to use your words and actions to experience their own major turning points in life. It’s not easy, by any stretch, but it is doable…:) All the best.
Lyle
May 5th, 2009 at 11:32 am
Another great post, Lyle! You are an A.MAZING writer. As I said before Lynn has made a huge impact on my life and everything you have learned I have as well.
I personally need to find some discipline and take some personal responsibility. What a thought provoking post. Thanks!
Hmmm 10 years from now….I know where I want to be so I need to get crackin’.
May 5th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Hi Angie and thanks for your kind words. And just for the record, I truly doubt that you’ll need ten years to be where you want to be…:) Take care and all the best towards your success.
Lyle
May 6th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Oh this is good stuff. Couldn’t have come at a better time for me. Guess a lot of us have had our share of setbacks–it’s what you do about them that counts. Having an attitude of gratitude is a great practice in my life.
Very good post, awesome topic. Lynn is one cool chick, love her story. She’s the real deal, as are you! Thank you Lyle!
May 6th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Hi Lisa and thanks for the kind words. Feel free to drop by anytime. Take care and all the best.
Lyle
August 8th, 2009 at 8:13 am
Such a good article. Now, to act….
August 8th, 2009 at 9:21 am
Thanks for dropping by Bruno15. Glad you liked the post and good luck towards your success…:)
Lyle