Here are some pointers on how to deal with misfortune.
1. Be grateful for what you have.
There’s a saying, “I felt bad because I had no shoes but then I saw a man who had no legs.” I myself once lost my socks. These were my favorite socks. But then I saw someone who’d lost their whole family in a fire on Christmas and I thought, Hey, buy new socks! And it worked!
2. Don’t give up.
Suppose someone you love is in an awful accident, and dies —and they were just about to give you a lot of money and didn’t put it in writing or tell anyone and now no one believes you. Don’t give up — it still can be yours! Just go to the funeral reception and go upstairs and rifle through their drawers and jewelry box till you recoup what’s due you.
It’s what they would have wanted.
3. Be generous.
What if you come down with a fatal illness yourself? What a welter of thoughts will assail you! But one thing for sure you’ll be asking is, what should I serve when guests drop by?
First, serve the good scotch you normally hide. Once you’re dead, they’ll find it anyway — their judgments may be severe.
4. Finally — Seek spirituality.
If you are troubled that bad things happen to good people, you may despair. Find solace in this spiritual truth: Bad things happen to bad people, also.
