Remembering the Lemon Spoon Race: What Childhood Games Teach Us About Life's Challenges

Today, I was chatting with one of my friends, and during our chat, we reminisced about our school days and the game called "Limbu Chamchi" (Lemon Spoon). Back in the '90s, we used to celebrate sports day, national day, etc., by participating in various competitive games, and Limbu Chamchi (Lemon Spoon) was one of them.

I believe many of us remember this game. It's a very interesting game, isn't it?

We required concentration, body control, self-confidence, and attention in this game. We had to cross the winning line from the starting line by walking while holding a spoon in our mouth with a whole lemon on it. Sounds interesting, right? Isn't it exciting to remember it? I'm really too excited, dreaming about my days when we played the lemon spoon race game.

Rules of the Lemon Spoon Race

Every game has certain rules to play, right? Similarly, the lemon spoon race also has rules:

- You can only use the lemon and spoon provided to you on race day by the organizers.
- The spoon may not be bent or altered in any way.
- You should hold the spoon in your mouth throughout the race.
- Hands may not be used to adjust the spoon once the race starts.
- If the lemon falls off the spoon, you will be eliminated.
- The lemon cannot be altered in any way to make it sit right on the spoon.
- The judge's decision is final.

Oops, I was always scared that the lemon would fall while I played it because, as mentioned above, if the lemon falls off the spoon before crossing the winning line, you are out of the game. I believe nobody wants to be out of the game, right? At least I know that I never liked to be a loser while playing.

In this game, we have to keep in mind that there's no second chance to come back into the game or no wildcard entry. If the lemon falls, we have to enjoy the game by sitting with the audience.

Winning Strategy

If you want to win, you have to balance your mind and body to carry the spoon with the lemon to reach your targeted winning line. If you lose your attention, you are out of the game. Your speed is also an important factor. You have to be faster than your competitors to win the game, or else you will lose your first place. You are definitely a winner, but you can be in any place from last to first, depending on a combination of "your speed, concentration, body control, self-confidence, and attention." If you lose your attention or it is disturbed even for a second, you lose your first place. Maybe you can be second, third, or any other place, but you cannot be first.

Notably, there are always many supporters of your competitors or many people who don't want you to win. But if you decide to win, you have to ignore everything and give your full attention to reaching your targeted winning line. Also, make sure you are very clear and balanced in your mind to become a winner.

Life Lessons from the Lemon Spoon Race

While thinking about those days, I reflected on my life's journey and concluded that the lemon spoon race offers valuable lessons for achieving dreams in life.

In life, we decide our targeted winning line, but before reaching there, we are easily distracted by others. If we remain focused on our target, nobody can distract us, be it competition, market scenarios, or negative comments.

Always remember that people often share their failure experiences because they strongly believe that nobody can succeed in something they failed at. I believe it is common human nature to make others believe why they failed.

Before letting our minds be distracted by those failure stories, we must consider whether everyone has the same capabilities.

We must remember that negative people always share their negative comments and experiences to make us negative, but it depends on us how we take their experiences. If we can use their experiences positively and use them to improve ourselves and avoid mistakes, it will be worthwhile for us to move forward in life.

Observe it yourself; whenever you become negative, aren't you distracting your mind?

"There's a very famous saying, 'You cannot achieve positive results with a negative mind.'"

There are always audiences supporting our competitors, competitors trying to pull us back, and many negative people trying to drag us down to their level.

Aren't we failures in life if we pull ourselves down? The answer is yes, right?

Then why are we not using those things to build ourselves more powerfully?

If we can use all the above as a ladder to make us stronger and more passionate about winning, to build our strength, to focus on our goal without distractions, to concentrate on crossing our winning line, and to create balance with our mind and body, then can anybody stop us from crossing our winning line?

No, nobody can stop us from becoming winners if we decide and focus only on the winning line without distractions.

At The End

We must remember that we don't have the power to decide about winning, but we have the power to put in our full efforts attentively. Our Evaluator (God) will decide about our success.

The bottom line is that success is a perfect dish that requires the ingredients of our efforts, a balanced mind and body, concentration, a focused goal, clear vision, and assertiveness to get the perfect flavor. Stay positive in life, focus on what you are doing, don't distract yourself, stay positive, and cross your winning line.

"We cannot even reach the winning line with a distracted mind. Be focused and live positively to cross your winning line."

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/limbu...th?published=t

I appreciate your vivid description of the lemon spoon race game and the life lessons you've drawn from it. Indeed, the game can be seen as a metaphor for life and work, where focus, balance, and perseverance are critical for success. As an HR professional, I believe there are practical applications of these principles in the workplace.

Here's how:

1. 🍏 Stay Focused: Just like keeping your eye on the lemon in the game, employees should remain focused on their tasks and goals. Avoid distractions and maintain a clear vision of what needs to be achieved.

2. 🕹️ Maintain Balance: As it is necessary to balance the lemon on the spoon, it's also important to maintain a work-life balance. It helps prevent burnout and ensures that you remain productive and motivated in your work.

3. 🤰 Persevere: If the lemon falls, you're out of the game. Similarly, setbacks in the workplace should not deter you from striving to achieve your goals. Learn from your mistakes and keep pushing forward.

4. 🍉 Reach Your Goals: The aim of the game is to cross the finish line. Similarly, set clear, measurable goals in your work and strive to achieve them.

5. 🎤 Continuous Improvement: Always look for ways to improve your skills and abilities. This could be through ongoing training, seeking feedback, or self-learning.

6. 💁‍♀️ Teamwork: In some versions of the game, you may have a partner to pass the lemon to. This teaches us the importance of teamwork and collaboration in achieving common goals.

7. 🕵️‍♀️ Ignore Negativity: As you mentioned, there will always be competitors and naysayers. Learn to ignore negative comments and instead, focus on your work and the positive impact you're making.

Remember, success is a journey, not a destination. It's important to celebrate small wins along the way and continue to strive for improvement. As an HR professional, I suggest incorporating these principles into your daily work life to enhance productivity and achieve your career goals.