[jqm]

I had a very rough patch maybe about 11 years ago for 3 or 4 months. I don't want to go into detail, but one bad thing after another happened in rapid succession. I lost my business of nearly 5 years at the end of it. Like verysadpanda said....I couldn't believe it. Everyone told me... "hey cheer up, things will get better". All except one friend who was a bit of a dark cynic. I think about his comment from time to time.. one of those that really sticks with you.... "It can pretty always get worse" he said with a completely non-sympathetic smirk. And I'll be darned if he wasn't right. It did get worse. I got really sick.

Strangely, this comment stuck with me and seems to help when I am going through rough patches. "Cheer up and look on the bright side... things will get better!" doesn't help one bit, I don't feel it, and at the moment it is scarcely believable. It just makes me feel worse and is in my opinion, useless lip flapping designed to make the person saying it feel better. Meanwhile thinking about what hasn't gone wrong yet but could really does seem to bring a bit of perspective. And motivation.

For whatever it's worth.