I was served lemons, but I made lemonade

TRP Challenge 5: Get a tattoo which represents my personal philosophy

I always used to be scared of getting a tattoo. I don't mind needles or the sight of blood, but my Mum had always told me it was the most painful thing she had ever experienced. Coming from a woman who has given birth to 4 children, I thought it must be excruciating.

Back in September last year my sister and I got matching wrist tattoos. They are tiny and took about 2 minutes to do. However, they were a good way to test my pain threshold and see if I could put up with it!

For a long time now I have wanted a tattoo which stands for my own personal philosophy, something which symbolises the way I wish to lead my life. I am a sucker for a quote and motivational speech, anyone who has seen my pinterest boards can concur. I refer back to my quote boards whenever I feel a dip in my mood or have a challenging day, and they remind me to keep living my best life. We may not always have a good day, but you can always find something good in each day, whether that is a message from a loved one, petting a dog or having some of your favourite food.

One of my favourite sayings is 'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade'. It is absolutely cliche and overused, however I really believe in it. We are all served bad days, bad weeks, even bad years, but we must learn to embrace the good, bad and the ugly. Life is a rich tapestry of positives and negatives, and how would you ever know how wonderful happiness is if you have never felt sadness. I truly believe the things which test us in life allow us to appreciate the complex beauty of it all.

For me personally, I know that my troubled relationship with food & exercise in the past mean that I now fully embrace every opportunity I get to try something new. Every sip of wine, every scoop of ice-cream and every meal out are victorious to me. I fully appreciate and embrace my ability to be able to forget food rules and restrictions and eat intuitively. Every work out is a victory as I no longer obsess over the number of calories burnt or the distance I have run, but about how wonderful it makes my body feel and how confident I feel in myself.

And this is why I decided to get a lemon tattoo. It stands for overcoming the hard, gritty, tear inducing times and being able to taste the sweetness of life again. Every time I see my tattoo, it reminds me to go out and embrace the day, to accept my flaws and celebrate my mind, body and life. It reminds me to accept that I will face many more 'lemons' in my lifetime, but that, ultimately, I will strive to always remain a postive person who has a passion for life.

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