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Bleary-eyed and still un-caffeinated, I stumbled to my backyard to get early morning sun in my eyes as recommended by my celeb crush, Andrew Huberman .

He's the handsome neuroscientist that also inspired me to work out regularly, sauna 20 minutes four times a week, and swoon over science.


The sun advice?  Apparently, 5-10 minutes of morning sun exposure without sunglasses can significantly improve your circadian rhythm, mood, and sleep quality by signaling your body to wake up and suppress melatonin production. Caution: Be careful not to look directly at the sun and blink frequently if needed.


So there I was, blinking frequently, when my friend Nicol showed up with Gracie Little, her 7-year old ADORABLE chihuahua.  I occasionally babysit for Littles (as we affectionately call her), which helps out my friend and feeds my puppy dog fix.


"Cool!" she exclaims.  "Look at your lemons!"


Lemons?


"Nicol, that's a rose bush!" I responded.


She pointed.

I saw no lemons.

C'mon!  I've lived here over two years now.  Surely if there were lemons, I would've seen them, right?

Nicol pointed emphatically and raised her voice an octive.

"Brenda!  Look closer!"

Holy lemonade, Batman!

How did a lemon tree get in my backyard?

And why didn't I notice it until now?

Despite being completely ignored for two years, this resilient lemon tree sure knew how to bear fruit!

Yep.  Grapefruit-sized lemons.

A bounty in my backyard!


Just like the Lion already had courage and the Scarecrow had a brain and the Tin Man a heart - the lemons were there all the time.


Sometimes it takes fresh eyes to see what's right under our nose.

What a gift when someone else points out what we've overlooked!

So here's a challenge I'd like to leave you with: 

If you see something, say something.

We've all seen those signs in airports encouraging travelers to report suspicious acts.

But what about the good stuff we see everyday that is so often overlooked?


After a particularly grueling day, I found myself in a despairingly long line at Marshall's. Quickly bored with the mugs, notepads, readers, and gift bags meant to evoke extra final purchases, I turned my attention to cashier #5 making the day of every customer she served. Her warmth and effervescence was palpable.  She actually seemed excited and thrilled about every person's purchases!


I found myself thinking, "I hope I get HER to ring me up!"


And I did.


So I took the opportunity to say, "I've watched your light shine on every person you helped before me.  What a gift!  You make a difference."


Her already bright light catapulted with appreciation.  And all of a sudden, my grueling day felt far away.


Notice what's good around you.  And say something about it.


You might just help someone discover the lemons in their backyard.


And make a friend in the process.

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