Man får vara glad för att man blev den man blev när man nu inte blev den man sku

English translation: You got to be happy you became the one that you are and not the one you should have been

21:03 Dec 1, 2017
Swedish to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Life advice
Swedish term or phrase: Man får vara glad för att man blev den man blev när man nu inte blev den man sku
Yes, a mouthful... but I wonder if anyone has heard of this or anything like it. It's kind of hard to search.

The exact context is simply:
"Eller som talesättet lyder:
”Man får vara glad för att man blev den man blev när man nu inte blev den man skulle”.

I don't recognize it from anything in Eng. I can give it a direct work-over to make it sound 'wise,' but I'm wondering if the collective wisdom can do better...
Deane Goltermann
Sweden
Local time: 00:03
English translation:You got to be happy you became the one that you are and not the one you should have been
Explanation:
This is not an idiom or any particulr swedish saying. I have never seen it before. Just someone being smart. (Good quip though)
Selected response from:

Anders Ericsson
Sweden
Local time: 00:03
Grading comment
This is closest to what I used. Good input from everyone, and this confirmed that this wasn't a real 'saying.' My customer was indeed making a quip -- many in his book about product stories. Thanks!!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +1You got to be happy you became the one that you are and not the one you should have been
Anders Ericsson
3 +1You've got to be happy with who you turned out, seeing as you didn't turn out how you were supposed
EKM
4Not being who you should have been, be glad you are who you are.
Michele Fauble
3Be careful what you wish for
Leif Ohman
3be glad you are who you are rather than someone you wished you were
Helen Johnson


Discussion entries: 8





  

Answers


7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
You got to be happy you became the one that you are and not the one you should have been


Explanation:
This is not an idiom or any particulr swedish saying. I have never seen it before. Just someone being smart. (Good quip though)

Anders Ericsson
Sweden
Local time: 00:03
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SwedishSwedish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
This is closest to what I used. Good input from everyone, and this confirmed that this wasn't a real 'saying.' My customer was indeed making a quip -- many in his book about product stories. Thanks!!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Matt Bibby: Yes, but perhaps with 'person' instead, i.e. the person you are, and not the person you should've been
18 hrs
  -> sure. no problem.
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Be careful what you wish for


Explanation:
This is looking at it from the bright side.

You could also look at it from the dark side and say that this is Jantelagen (google "thou shalt not believe thou"), settling for second best, "det bidde en tumme".

More context would be needed to decide between the two.


Leif Ohman
United States
Local time: 16:03
Native speaker of: Native in SwedishSwedish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks for your input ... this is what it says, but I needed something more word for word for the customer.

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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
be glad you are who you are rather than someone you wished you were


Explanation:
This is my interpretation of it.

Helen Johnson
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:03
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks for your input ... it says this too, but I needed something more word for word for the customer.

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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
You've got to be happy with who you turned out, seeing as you didn't turn out how you were supposed


Explanation:
...to be.

I understand in the sense of 'since this is the way it is, it's better to adjust one's attitude and appreciate what one has/can do, rather than feel bad about what one does not have/cannot do.'

EKM
Sweden
Local time: 00:03
Native speaker of: Native in SwedishSwedish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Agneta Pallinder: Or even "You had better be happy" and "how" not "who" in the first half. "Seeing as you didn't" is good in that it captures the tinge of disappointment in "när man nu inte"
4 hrs
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20 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Not being who you should have been, be glad you are who you are.


Explanation:
My understanding.


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Note added at 3 days 53 mins (2017-12-04 21:57:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"If live gives you lemons, make lemonade".

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_life_gives_you_lemons,_...




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Note added at 3 days 1 hr (2017-12-04 22:03:52 GMT)
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life, not live, of course


Michele Fauble
United States
Local time: 16:03
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks for your input Micele, I like the lemonade one, ... this is what it says, but I needed something more word for word for the customer.

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