Any man may be in good spirits and good temper when he’s well dressed. There an’t much credit in that. If I was very ragged and very jolly, then I should begin to feel I had gained a point, Mr Pinch. — Martin Chuzzlewit

My Take – It’s easy to be happy and optimistic when everything is going smoothly.  When the road is smooth and straight, you can see your goal from miles away.  When things are bad, it’s hard to see what’s right in front of you, much less down the road.  There will be times when everything hits you at once.  Finances, relationships, jobs, illness, and everything else that can self-destruct, will self-destruct.  You spend so much time ducking and weaving that you stop being able to look ahead.  But you must.  Take the time to figure out what’s wrong in your life, how you’re going to get through it, and what you want to happen after.  Having a plan and knowing that you’re following it will take a world of weight off your shoulders, and things won’t look quite so bad.