“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” is a proverbial phrase used to encourage optimism and a positive can-do attitude in the face of adversity or misfortune. Lemons suggest sourness or difficulty in life; making lemonade is turning them into something positive or desirable. (Wikipedia)

Life is not easy. Life will throw things at you, often, when you least expect it. There will always be something or someone causing pain, stress, discomfort, or unhappiness. And during those times, you will always have a choice:

give in

or

get up.

To give in can look like a lot of things. Giving in to your current circumstances, accepting the negativity or difficult situation you are in. Quitting. Being a victim. Blaming others. Complaining about your circumstances. Defending your behaviours. Whenever we have chosen to give in, why have we made that choice? Is it our privilege? Weakness? Lack of resilience or accountability? Nurture or nature?

To get up should speak for itself. GET. UP. You must keep moving forward. Life isn’t stopping for you. You cannot stop living. You must move forward and go through the fire. You may regret it if you don’t. You will learn something about yourself if you get up.

“When life gives you lemonade, make lemons. Life will be all like ‘whaaat’.”

– Phil Dunphy, from Phil’s-osophies (Modern Family)

When considering Daniel Pink’s categories of regret, will we regret making the wrong choice when going through the fire?

Will we regret giving in?

Can we ever regret getting up?