You Get What You Get, and You Don't Get Upset. | Gretchen Rubin                                [Skip to content](#content)   [ ![](https://gretchenrubin.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/gretchenrubin-logo-768x344.png) ](https://gretchenrubin.com)

    - July 17, 2017

# You Get What You Get, and You Don’t Get Upset.

   Happier with Gretchen Rubin

[Listen OnSpotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/3yijGA5zrc45flkSVGjrGK)[Listen OnPandora](http://app.stitcher.com/splayer/f/61836/50801665)

Little: A Lesson from Pre-School: You Get What You Get, and You Don’t Get Upset

![Little: A Lesson from Pre-School: You Get What You Get, and You Don’t Get Upset](https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/d3eece5a-34f6-11f1-8af6-2b2be23d90fd/image/f255fc2790d879c623f0beb2f1ec2fbc.jpg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress)

Show Podcast Information

        <a class="elementor-toggle-title" tabindex="0">EPISODE NOTES</a>

It’s funny what we remember. When handing out scarves with different patterns, or cupcakes with different colors of frosting, I would hear my daughter’s nursery school teachers admonish the children, **“You get what you get, and you don’t get upset.”** I remind myself of this *all the time*. Sometimes, I can change, control, or choose; sometimes I can’t — in which case, it doesn’t help to get upset about it. This saying is a good example of the “[**fluency heuristic**,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluency_heuristic)” by the way: we remember ideas better, and find them more valuable, when they’re easy to remember — for instance, because the words rhyme. (For some reason, I get a big kick out of this.) Do you have any childhood sayings that have stuck with you? Rhyming or non-rhyming.

   #### RESOURCES

    The Happier app is on Twitter!

Follow @thehappierapp for Know Yourself Better questions, ideas for aims, and more. And if youu2019re usingu0003the app, be sure to tag us in your Tweets u2014 weu2019d love to hear what youu2019re working on and how youu2019re usingu0003the app. For 30% off select items from the Happiness Project collection, use code HAPPIERSUMMER30u0003at checkout. You'll get 30% off on purchases of t-shirts, travels mugs, water bottles, and pouches.

 PARADE

Find all the tools youu2019ll need to create advanced websites in one place.
Stop waisting time searching for solutions. u2013 PARADE

 PARADE

Find all the tools youu2019ll need to create advanced websites in one place.
Stop waisting time searching for solutions. u2013 PARADE

   #### LATEST PODCASTS

    [  ](https://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/593-ditch-your-storage-unit-plus-how-to-start-a-new-tradition/)

[593. Ditch Your Storage Unit, Plus How to Start a New Tradition](https://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/593-ditch-your-storage-unit-plus-how-to-start-a-new-tradition/)

- July 1, 2026

   [  ](https://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/little-happier-why-winston-churchill-used-courteous-speech-in-a-letter-about-war/)

[Little Happier: Why Winston Churchill Used Courteous Speech in a Letter About War](https://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/little-happier-why-winston-churchill-used-courteous-speech-in-a-letter-about-war/)

- June 29, 2026

   [  ](https://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/more-happier-get-better-at-socializing-make-the-most-of-halfway-day/)

[More Happier: Get Better at Socializing &amp; Make the Most of “Halfway Day”](https://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/more-happier-get-better-at-socializing-make-the-most-of-halfway-day/)

- June 27, 2026

   #### YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

    [  ](https://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/podcast-126-rate-and-review-a-podcast/)

[Podcast 126: Look for an Under-Used Area of Your Home, Dealing with Perfectionism, and Clear Instructions about How to Rate and Review a Podcast.](https://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/podcast-126-rate-and-review-a-podcast/)

- July 19, 2017

   [  ](https://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/little-happier-right-thing-to-say/)

[My Daughter’s Ex-Boyfriend’s Mother Knew the Right Thing to Say.](https://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/little-happier-right-thing-to-say/)

- July 31, 2017

   [  ](https://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/129-september-is-the-other-january/)

[Podcast 129: September Is the Other January, the Fun of Post-It Notes, and What “They” Think.](https://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/129-september-is-the-other-january/)

- August 9, 2017

  #### DISCOVER MORE

# Like what you see? Explore more about this topic.

- [Parenting](https://gretchenrubin.com/secondary_tag/parenting/)

Manage Cookie Consent

To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.

  Functional    Functional  Always active

 The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.

 Preferences   Preferences

 The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.

 Statistics   Statistics

 The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.

 Marketing   Marketing

 The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.

- [Manage options](#)
- [Manage services](#)
- [Manage {vendor\_count} vendors](#)
- [Read more about these purposes](https://cookiedatabase.org/tcf/purposes/)

 Accept Deny View preferences Save preferences [View preferences](#)

- [{title}](#)
- [{title}](#)
- [{title}](#)

Manage consent

# Subscribe to Gretchen’s newsletter.

Every Friday, Gretchen Rubin shares 5 things that are making her happier, asks readers and listeners questions, and includes exclusive updates and behind-the-scenes material.

       Email

     Submit

 ;  ![](https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=1375714196636303&ev=PageView&noscript=1&cd%5Bpage_title%5D=You+Get+What+You+Get%2C+and+You+Don%27t+Get+Upset.&cd%5Bpost_type%5D=podcast&cd%5Bpost_id%5D=43837&cd%5Bplugin%5D=PixelYourSite&cd%5Buser_role%5D=guest&cd%5Bevent_url%5D=gretchenrubin.com%2Fpodcast%2Flittle-happier-preschool%2F)                                                                                          [x](# "Close optin form")Subscribe to Gretchen's newsletter

Every Friday, Gretchen Rubin shares 5 things that are making her happier, asks readers and listeners questions, and includes exclusive updates and behind-the-scenes material.

We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Invalid email address

Thanks for subscribing!

[x](# "Close optin form")

![Blue and yellow pens on blue background](https://gretchenrubin.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/cropped-cropped-DSC5980-scaled-e1663786433795.jpg)

Join more than One Million Subscribers

# Get happiness delivered to your inbox.

From renowned happiness expert and *New York Times* bestselling author Gretchen Rubin, the “Five Things Making Me Happy” newsletter is one of today’s most popular newsletters. You’ll get a weekly round-up of what’s making Gretchen happy, as well as practical tips, research, and resources about how we can make our lives happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative.

[Privacy Policy](<http://on the work of renowned happiness and habit-formation expert Gretchen Rubin.>)

Invalid email address

Onward! Thank you for subscribing.