Some Situations Just Aren't Winnable--A Paragraph a Day

One of the problems that I have with a lot of the self-help literature that's out there is the rather naive idea that we can thrive in virtually any situation, that we can come out winners no matter what kinds of obstacles we face or what kind of curve balls life throws us.  The simple truth is, though, that some situations are simply awful, and we're going to be lucky to get through them unscathed.  Some people choose to act in awful ways, and they may do their best to harm us.  Yes, we can learn from these situations and people, and yes, we can come out of whatever harm they cause us as better people, but we're certainly not going to thrive and we don't necessarily have to try to enjoy them--they are what they are and they've become a part of our lives, but that doesn't mean that there's a way to make them somehow enjoyable.  I prefer to try to understand what each situation is bringing me, be it treasure or garbage or even tedium, and then react appropriately by enjoying it, pulling myself out of it, or simply accepting it and rolling with it.  I appreciate the writers of most self-help material, but I do believe that they do us a disservice when they try to convince us that every moment brings us treasure, and that it's up to us to uncover it.  Usually, there's very little treasure to be discovered at the bottom of a pile of garbage.