My Lemonade Lessons: Understanding Our State of Inter-Existence Through Gratitude.

By Natasha Lammers

Natasha Lammers is a life-long learner who believes that beautiful divine messages of hope that promote healing and comfort to the heart, should be shared with the world.

In a collection of mini-lessons, Natasha offers compelling insight into her unique spiritual practice and related teachings [to help one transform one’s view from “self” to “whole”] through the understanding of one’s inter-existence, in order to find the answers to such existential questions as “Who am I?” and “What is the reason for my existence?”; while, intertwining her personal experiences with wisdom from her spiritual teachers and guides, as well as her insightful practices and personal challenges. Natasha leads the readers on their own spiritual journey toward an enlightening path inward to discover that it is they who have the power to transform their ordinary life into an extraordinary one.

My Lemonade Lessons offers valuable insight and self-transformational practices gathered from one woman’s spiritual journey of self-exploration to help others discover themselves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Mar 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9798765240465

Book preview

Copyright © 2023 Natasha Lammers.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means,

graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by

any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author

except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Balboa Press

A Division of Hay House

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.balboapress.com

844-682-1282

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in

this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views

expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the

views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any

technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the

advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer

information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-

being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your

constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 979-8-7652-4045-8 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-7652-4046-5 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date:  03/28/2023

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When we accept the prosperity that comes to us, and

are grateful for it, even more will come to us.

——Louise Hay

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CONTENTS

Dedication: The Intent Behind the Intention

Introduction: How This Book Was Born

Part 1   Food For Thought: You Are What You Eat.

Part 2   The Law: The Teachings are in the Seed of Enlightenment

Part 3   To Dream or… not to Dream: Asleep or Awake?

Part 4   The Triptych: Our Reality

Part 5   Bon Appetite!

Part 6   The Acid Trip: Streams of Consciousness

Chapter 1   The Lemon and Me: Blessings in Disguise

Chapter 2   All is Forever Shifting: Nothing And Everything

Chapter 3   Reminiscing the Present: Enlightenment

Chapter 4   The Dance: In A Glimpse

Chapter 5   The Reason Why You Are Alive: Which Came First, The Lemon Or The Pit?

Chapter 6   Inner Wealth: Unwrap the Gift

Part 7   Seeing Wholeness Through our Gifts: The Thirty Days Lemon-Zen Challenge

Conclusion: Through the Prism of Wholeness: As Is

Quotes: Opening Page

Bibliography

DEDICATION

The Intent Behind the Intention

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Choose to be grateful no matter what.

—Rhonda Byrne

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Would You Dare Ask Me?

If you dared to ask what my intention was for writing this book, I would tell you that there was no intention in this action. Only a will. A will to want to write until I could write since, I had writer’s block for many years. There was also a will to exist since, I was beginning to feel like I was losing my existence. There was a will to be connected to that higher power, which taught me that I didn’t need to connect to something I had been connected to all along. There was a will to dream my own dream to reality (by writing this book), though I didn’t know what I was going to write about, and writing happened on its own.

I am satisfied, knowing that the flowering of this book sprouted from a seed deep inside my heart. It’s where my essence resides and the Universe speaks, (it has given me hints as to why I am alive). This reason must be sought, because it will all make sense once you figure it out on your own. If I had decided to end my life long ago during the time of my deepest despair and anguish as I pained to exist in this world as a teenager (not knowing how to handle the existential pain I was experiencing), I would have never written this book. I would have never traveled to all the places I never imagined I would, and I would have never learned the wonderful things I learned, with the incredible teachers I learned them from. Neither would have I met the people I did meet or, would have experienced the things I experienced.

In all fairness, I am very glad I gave myself an opportunity to continue this journey of self-exploration in this inter-existent cosmos as I continue to learn to love more, to forgive more, to be more grateful, and to continue to discover more reasons why I am alive. This is happening only because I was willing to give life a chance. May you too give life a chance. Since, there are lovers you haven’t yet loved, places you haven’t yet been to, lessons you haven’t yet learned, things you haven’t yet seen, and creations you haven’t yet manifested. May your journey in life take you to your dreams, may you live those dreams to fruition, and may every manifestation you experience in your life, continue to keep you awake.

To All We Inter-Exist With

I completed the manuscript for this book (before submission for corrections) exactly on Thanksgiving Day of 2021. Once I received it, I went through another revision, and again, completed it on Thanksgiving Day (of 2022). This isn’t a coincidence. The Universe is thanking me just as much as I am thanking it. So I need to dedicate it to all that made it possible for me to share this book with you, because the least I can do is acknowledge the reason why it came to fruition—my inter-existence—. In gratitude, I dedicate this book to the awakened ones, to the wise teachings that enlighten us, and to the spiritual community that strives to live the awakened life every single day through their words, deeds, and acts.

Some of these awakened beings I mentioned above are also known as Buddhas. I say Buddhas because, besides Gautama Buddha who lived approximately twenty-six hundred years ago, there were other Buddhas before him (like the Thousand Buddhas), and the Buddhas who will live after him (like Maitreya Buddha, the future Buddha of Loving-Kindness); just to name a few of all the Buddhas. Then there’s the inner Buddha, our inner-teacher who is within us. As a representation of the self, the inner Buddha is our enlightened state right now, as we are in this very moment.

I thank the Buddha within me for guiding and showing me that every moment is an opportunity for me to learn and grow. For I now know that this path of learning isn’t the end or the beginning, but a state of continuity. Already inside me, you make it possible for me to love, forgive, and be grateful. Therefore, I dedicate this book to each and every Buddha of the past, present, and future (within and outside myself), including my guides—all the angels, archangels and bodhisattvas—who I have by my side. I thank each one of you for providing me with endless opportunities that help me see the unseen.

This book is also dedicated to all the books I’ve read and later inspired me to write, since they have brought immense light and wisdom to my heart. These books were once trees, clouds, and rain, and are the reason why I was inspired to want to share some of their wisdom (through my writing) with the world. However, my writing for this book first manifested through images I’d photographed from the nature around me, especially flowers (they make my heart expand every time I see them). And with that expansion, and the help of my mind, body and hand, as well as the ink, pen and morning lemonades (our interdependence with one another), divine messages began to materialize in my notebook.

All because I was inspired by the images in nature I saw around me. As a result, words of hope, gratitude and oneness blurted out of the pen onto my blank pieces of paper which, ultimately provided the answers I had been seeking all along. For, they made me realize the reason of my existence—our inter-existence—. The result is in every page of this book—what you are seeing now. You see, we’re all interdependent and interconnected. My morning lemonade interactions are proof, as they opened an inner door that led to more doors of infinite lessons in my life. I am grateful to you all.

I also dedicate this book to the spiritual community that helped preserve and keep these teachings alive, and continues teaching and living them for the benefit of all. These teachers aren’t just the Buddhas, saints, angels, and archangels that existed throughout eternity. They’re also the wise and sages of long ago up to today, and include all the teachers of life. You’ve all been a catalyst in my life experiences, giving me an opportunity to transform as I continue to evolve on my path. Some of these teachers include but are not limited to, my first spiritual teacher—His Holiness the Dalai Lama—, whom I had the honor to meet and learn from. I am humbled and grateful for his teachings.

Thich Nhat Hanh on the other hand, is a spiritual teacher who showed me the meaning of inter-existence in the first book I read by him (even though I never got to meet him). From that one book, his teachings were directly transmitted to me. Now, some of those lessons dwell within my heart. The influence he’s had on this book is undeniably evident all throughout. So…, the signs are there, as they’re telling me that there’s to be no more editing or revising once I am done proof-reading it this time. Thank you Thich Nhat Hanh for all that you taught me, especially for showing me the meaning of inter-existence. I know that you’re resting in peace.

Louise Hay, I could not have written this book without your positive affirmations. You are no longer here. Yet, you’ll always be here with us. I thank you for being such a great source of inspiration and encouragement for so many people (that includes me) every single day! I also want to thank: my school teachers, who taught me to dream with grace and planted seeds of wisdom that are finally beginning to sprout. The lessons get clearer and clearer. My yoga teachers, who, made me realize that love is on the other side of fear. I am beginning to see the light. My family and friends, I love every one of you. You have not only taught me many lessons, you have given me an opportunity to continue to apply those lessons I still need to learn. Every teaching you present me with, I consider it to be a blessing in disguise. Some I’m still learning. Therefore, I thank and dedicate this book to everyone of you too.

There’s also my writing teachers and publisher. The Hay House Writer’s Community with Reid Tracy, Kelly Notaras, Anna Pettit and the rest of its staff, for unselfishly providing so much time, energy, information, and dedication since, they were essential for my writing process. Besides, it was through this writing course that I was able to manifest the un-manifest. Thank you for helping me unblock my writer’s block. And Balboa Press, my book publisher. Thank you for having given me the opportunity to bring my dreams to fruition.

Then, there are those life-teachers and life-teachings that arise within us all the time. Like love, joy, fear and anger…, different states of mind (manifestations) one experiences on a moment to moment basis, that provide me with opportunities to learn (the lessons I still haven’t learned). With gratitude in my heart, I thank every one of you. That is, the teachers and teachings I encounter all the time—at home and at work, in my antiquated beliefs and in my biases, in my love life and in my social life, as well as in my progressive and loving attitudes. So I dedicate this book to every single one of you too. May we all be happy, free, and awake, and may we live each moment in grace, gratitude, and truth with loving-kindness and compassion. I acknowledge our state of inter-existence since, you are in every one of these pages. Thank you for inspiring me enough to create this book.

Natasha Lammers.

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Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing

that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And

because all things have contributed to your advancement,

you should include all things in your gratitude.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

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INTRODUCTION

How This Book Was Born

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All things come from nothingness … within

nothingness there is infinite potential.

—Shunmyo Masuno

How does one write when one can’t write?

The beginning

Besides the experiences I had throughout my life that led to the creation of this book, I want to tell you how it all got started because the two are intricately linked. It began some years ago when I was feeling mentally stagnant and spiritually hungry. Basically, I needed food for my soul. But because I had been feeding myself with junk-food in the last decade, I became malnourished as a result of all the bad fast food I was ingesting—posting, liking, scrolling, following… ever since social media became the source of nourishment for the masses.

Since you are what you eat, I knew junk food wasn’t the type of food my essence was craving, and realized that I needed to start a healthy diet and do more of what I love. Like, reading and writing. With this realization, I stopped wasting my time and energy through social media and began to do things that truly matter to me. I didn’t want to spend another moment of my life following people that I don’t know, or that may not even exist. I did want to read and write more because I enjoy it. I just couldn’t write. At least not in paragraphs. I had writer’s block (a condition that had been lingering for a while), and couldn’t express myself fully when writing.

Once I began feeding myself with books I love, the urge to write became stronger, and I began to write. Just not in the conventional sense. It began with me channel writing through my images. But before I explain the how, I want to say that this isn’t a channel-written book, and it’s not what I was writing about while I had writer’s block. Instead, this book is an accumulation of all the seeds I’ve sowed through my spiritual practice and have now ripened their fruit. Flowers have grown amid its pages, and an array of colors and silhouettes have taken shape because of it. This is the book that I was meant to write.

The how…

It all started with an intention to feel better since, I’m someone who strongly believes in moderation, not too much of this or that. So, I decided to add a little bit of fresh lemon juice to my breakfast routine every morning, and little did I know that, simply by adding a splash of lemon to my glass of water every day, it would turn to self-nourishment for my essence. That’s it. Then, that splash of lemon in my water, became a squirt of lemon, and that eventually became half a lemon to my daily doses. At one point, I was adding the juice from an entire lemon to my glass of water every day. Once I’d be done drinking it, I’d sit and write about the experience I’d just had from that interaction between the lemon and my ‘self’.

Nevertheless, because I had writer’s block, my style of writing was not conventional. Yet, I wrote because I had a deep desire to know two things. One, who am I? And two, what is the reason I am alive? I was very surprised by what I found through this daily interaction—an abundance of life-filled teachings that allowed me to see my ‘self’ as I really am, and through that glimpse, I began to see my ‘self’ in the Universe and the Universe in my ‘self’. Yet, who would have thought that a lemon a day would do this?

Now I will tell you about the how, by sharing some of the coincidences that lead to the making of this book since, even I’m amazed by the way it occurred. I truly believe that if we all shared these stories that are out of the mundane and ordinary that happen to us in our lives, they wouldn’t seem so out of this world anymore, and we would all see things differently than we normally do. We’d think and act differently too. Perhaps it’s time to change that perception a little bit more, be more open to the unknown, and share our out of the normal experiences with others.

That being said, one of my hobbies is nature photography, especially flowers. They’re subjects I like focusing on because of their pure energy and intrinsic beauty. Every time I look at an image of a flower, my heart expands. It’s a remarkable feeling I can’t put into words. Even thinking about one uplifts my heart. I also like playing with the light while photographing an image since, I’m fascinated by the way it reflects on certain objects. Sometimes, I photoshop one of my photographs and change its original color. Or, I zoom in and crop it, in order to bring into the light something I wouldn’t have ordinarily seen in its original hue. The image, however, I always leave as is.

And perhaps because of the above factors, my ability to sometimes see beyond the seen, and my deep attraction to nature, I began to see interesting patterns reflected on my photographs that resembled divine beings of light. The interesting part is, that I wouldn’t see them while taking the shot. Only later, while looking at the photos I had taken from the comfort of my own home. Sometimes others would point out these divine beings on my images as we viewed them. As this happened more frequently, I started paying more attention to my photos, and wondered why these divine beings were manifesting in my images. I kept thinking, "What is it that they’re trying to tell me?". My curiosity got the best of me, so I decided to channel these divine beings on my photographs. I just didn’t know how.

The very first

Amidst all this wondering, a flash lit up in my mind as I remembered the very first photograph I had taken that reflected an image of an angel. It happened during my trip to Italy, the very first time I traveled outside of the United States. It was a gift my Godfather gave me for my High School graduation. My Aunt, who lived there at the time, took me and some other relatives to the Basilica of Rome, where I took many photographs, including one in the popular spot of Saint Peter’s Tomb. Later, when I processed the roll, I was very surprised to see an image of a large angel-like white dove right above it. Then, I saw another interesting image that also left me very perplexed. When I came back home, I placed these special photos in a box and forgot all about them.

Later, during my years of travel, the experience of seeing divine beings reflected on my photos began to happen again, and more frequently too. Although it was never the same divine being projected on the photo, it was definitely always something that resembled one. Like an angel, a fairy, or a buddha. What’s interesting is, that I wouldn’t notice them until later, once the photos were processed. Not, while taking the shot. I would notice how, some of these images had something beautiful reflected on them. One day in particular, an image of a lily specifically stood out to me,