when life hands you lemons...

...go.

wait.

tables.

i'm not joking.

listen friends,

i was down on my luck.

i hadn't taken off the way i expected to after college.

i was working a job outside my interest

not interacting with people on a day-to-day basis

and all my friends had moved away.

the job i was working wasn't paying me enough to pay my bills

even though

they told me i would

even though

i'd been working with them for four years.

i was having spectacular auditions

but not roles

and wasn't getting enough ahead to work for my FUTURE.

and then i started waiting tables,

and everything changed.

now

i'm working harder.

i'm working happier, and i'm working longer.

 i chose a restaurant and a business i believe in.

this is the thing about life--you don't always get to make the choices you want to.

but, in its simplest form, choosing to work at a restaurant is not a big deal.

so-- choosing the place you want to be is possible.

you're there every day because you want to be there.

there are plenty of other jobs akin to serving; you chose this one because you wanted it.

being a server is an active vocation.

your job, every day, is to enjoy your time.

if you enjoy your time, your guests, will enjoy their time.

every day the give and take is PRESENT.

you talk, connect, and play with your customers

and in turn,

you are talked too, connected with, played with, as well.

you make tips.

so

before a shift

you need to put a tank of gas in your car

and after a shift

after six to eight hours of very hard work

you can.

the reward is immediate

and representative

of all that you have just done.

leaving a restaurant after six hours with 120 bucks is an incredible feeling.

hell, i could leave with 60 and be happy.

that is how incredible the payback is.

it's the people and the experience that keep this job satisfying.

the product is superb

the people are excited to be there

and i, in turn, am as well.

when life hands you lemons,

go wait tables.

you'll practice active living

practice making positive choices

be reminded that good rewards come from hard work

and feel satisfied day to day that you've contributed to goal you believe in.