When Life Gives You Lemons Quotes & Sayings
The following quotes and sayings are all about when life ‘gives you lemons.’
What does ‘when life gives you lemons’ mean?
The popular saying ‘when life give you lemons, make lemonade’ is about making the very best out of a bad situation.
The ‘lemons’ is a sour, unfortunate or bad event that you might find yourself facing and the ‘lemonade’ is the opportunity or positive outcome.
It’s about looking for the positives and focusing on what you can do to make the situation better for yourself and others.
Whilst the original saying has created a huge amount of funny (and perhaps corny) variations on the term, we have also included many similar inspiring quotes that encourage the same notion – that despite whatever is happening, there are options and opportunities if we look a little deeper and with a positive lens.
We hope you find these quotes inspiring and encouraging.
When Life Gives You Lemons Quotes
“I believe when life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade…and try to find someone whose life has given them vodka and have a party.” Ron White
“If you have a lemon, make a lemonade.” Dale Carnegie
“I am thankful to all who said no to me. It is because of them that I’m doing it myself.” Albert Einstein
“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade and sell it to all of those who get thirsty from complaining.” Napoleon Hill
“It’s not the situation, but whether we react negative or respond positive to the situation that is important.” Zig Ziglar
“Life keeps throwing me stones. And I keep finding the diamonds…” Ana Claudia Antune
“In all my work, I try to say – ‘You may be given a load of sour lemons, why not try to make a dozen lemon meringue pies?’” Maya Angelou
“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” Jon Kabat-Zinn
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” Oscar Wilde
“A grapefruit is just a lemon that saw an opportunity and took advantage of it.” Oscar Wilde.
“Positive anything is better than negative nothing.” Elbert Hubbard
“When life hands you lemonade, don’t try to make lemons.” Vince Guthrie
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” Abraham Lincoln
“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.” Helen Keller
“Making the best of what we do have, instead of begrudging what we don’t, has a way of creating all that we’ll ever need.” Charles F. Glassman
“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Then figure out how to sell it for $5.00 a glass.” John Woodman.
“When fishermen cannot go to sea, they repair nets.” Nabil Sabio Azadi
“I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.” Martha Washington
“When life gives you lemons, squirt someone in the eye.” Cathy Guiswite
“The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person who is doing it.” Chinese Proverb
“Some people have such a talent for making the best of a bad situation that they go around creating bad situations so they can make the best of them.” Jean Kerr
“When life gives you lemons, chunk it right back.” Bill Watterson
Making The Best Of A Bad Situation Quotes
“Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.” Brian Tracy
“When a caterpillar bursts from its cocoon and discovers it has wings, it does not sit idly, hoping to one day turn back. It flies.” Kelseyleigh Reber
“When life gives you lemons don’t make lemonade, make pink lemonade. Be unique.” Wanda Sykes
“Fall seven times and stand up eight.” Japanese Proverb
“The only thing you sometimes have control over is perspective. You don’t have control over your situation. But you have a choice about how you view it.” Chris Pine
“When life gives you lemons, sell them and buy a pineapple.” Davin Turney
“It’s not the situation… It’s your reaction to the situation.” Robert Conklin
“When life gives you lemons, take out the salt and the shot glasses and fill them up with tequila.” Teodora Kostova
“When we are no longer able to change a situation – we are challenged to change ourselves.” Viktor E. Frankl
“When life gives you lemon, take it. don’t waste food.” Giselle Marquez
“If life gives you lemons, don’t settle for simply making lemonade – make a glorious scene at a lemonade stand.” Elizabeth Gilbert
“When life gives you lemons ask it for sugar and water too. Otherwise, your final product would be some acidic lemon juice!” Priyavrat Gupt
“It’s not what happens to you, but how you handle it. If Life gives you lemons, make lemonade. If the lemons are rotten, take out the seeds and plant them in order to grow new lemons.” Louise Hay
“Maybe if we re-invent whatever our lives give us we find poems.” Naomi Shihab Nye
“When life gives you lemons, learn to juggle.” James Patterson.
“When life gives you lemon, don’t just make lemonade…make lemon meringue pie…make lemon tart…make lemon chiffon cake…make lemon liqueur…make lemon vinaigrette…make lemon pickle…Then set up shop and make your millions.” Mallika Nawal
If you’re interested in more encouraging and empowering quotes, be sure to check out:
The saying shows optimism in any situation as well as intelligence in the situation. That’s why I love this quote: ““When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”