How to deal with the difficulties of life

I've recently begun the process of organizing my thoughts around business, the realities of change, and the power of entrepreneurs (and the entrepreneurial-minded) for the grand and daunting purpose of writing a book. It's is truly amazing the effect that the commitment alone has created.  I am rapidly collecting all my thoughts in notes and recorded conversations. I'm exploring and following where it feels like I need to go. And one great benefit is the number of books that I have started reading.I find it surprising that I have never read Good to Great by Jim Collins. I'm remedying  that now. And have come across one particular piece that seems especially relevant in today's financially stressed climate. Allow me to share:"Life is unfair - sometimes to our advantage, sometimes to our disadvantage. We will all experience disappointments and crushing events somewhere along the way, setbacks for which there is no "reason," no one to blame.  It might be disease; it might be injury; it might be an accident; it might be losing a loved one; it might be getting swept away in a political shake-up; it might be getting shot down over Vietnam and thrown into a POW camp for eight years. What separates people, Stockdale taught me, is not the presence or absence of difficulty, but how they deal with the inevitable difficulties of life.  In wrestling with life's challenges, the Stockdale Paradox (you must retain faith that you will prevail in the end and you must also confront the most brutal facts of your current reality) has proved powerful for coming back from difficulties not weakened, but stronger - not just for me, but for all those who've learned the lesson and tried to apply it."  Good to Great, Jim Collins, p.85-86Collins explains that the Stockdale Paradox is the signature of all those who create greatness, be it in leading their own lives or in leading others. It is one of the qualities he believed defined the leaders of the Great companies.I found that one single paragraph gripping and so very relevant to what so many of us are experiencing at this time due to the economy and our finances. It is relevant to each client I have worked with as they work on adjusting their business to meet the changes and challenges in their market.I encourage you to keep your faith that you will prevail and take a good, hard look at what is happening in your business or your life and commit to address it, even if it isn't fun, even if it is scary and even if you don't know exactly what to do.If Admiral Jim Stockdale could do this during the eight years he was tortured as a prisoner-of-war during the Vietnam war, surely we can too.