The best way (sometimes the only way) for me to accept some of life’s curveballs is to trust that I was thrown them for a reason. I may go down swinging this time, but in a few innings or so, I’ve got to believe that some good will come of it.
In the meantime, my particular strikeout is another’s gain. I don’t mean that in a negative way; if you truly believe that we’re all playing one big intersquad game for Team Humankind, someone’s gotta throw that strikeout. It can’t be all walk-off home runs for everyone, every time.
In reality, that other person(s)’ gain doesn’t necessarily come instantaneously with my loss.* But eventually, things even themselves out: maybe I show them the tape of that at-bat so they don’t make the same mistakes I made. Maybe I end up using my bad experience to help someone through their own bad experience. That kind of thing.
When I think about it that way (and trust, it’s not always easy. Oy), it makes the less-than-pleasant daily grind of life much more manageable.
And sometimes when you done good, you get a reaction from Team Humankind like this:
http://giant.gfycat.com/PersonalBothDevilfish.gif
*I’m not talking about “hey, I stole your wallet. I gain $5, you lose your money” kind of scenarios here. That’s something else entirely.
the sloppy copy 
