Sweet and Sour....Life

I spend a lot of time cooking and often see Life Lessons in ingredients and recipes. 

When I go through difficult (sour) times, I remind myself that difficulties help me appreciate the good (sweet) times. I want to be able to experience Life like a nice bowl of sweet and sour pork. Why? Because I enjoy both flavors at the same time. I tend to get caught up and focus on the difficulties and don’t enjoy all the goodness that is also present. Put another way, I only taste the sour and don’t appreciate the sweet. I want to be better at enjoying both flavors of Life at the same time. What about you?

I’m dealing with something sour right now. Focusing on the sour in Life lets fear take control, and that never tastes good! Even though I know this, it is still a challenge for me. Some of the ways I strive to enjoy the sour along with the sweet are represented in the acronym GATES

• Gratitude - take time to count my blessings.
  
• Acknowledge my fears -  Ask for God’s help in overcoming them. (Worrying is like praying for what you don’t want.)
  
• Thank in advance -  Instead of saying please help me with overcoming my fears, I say thank you for helping me overcome my fears. It makes me feel like I’ve already received the blessing.
  
• Exercise -  It clears my mind and gives me energy.
  
• See my desired outcome frequently throughout the day.
  

I hope this helps you. Here is the link for my sweet sour pork recipe to help you enjoy the journey of Life.  

Recipe:
Sweet Sour Pork.pdf

Video:
Sweet Sour Pork