A couple of years ago, I was grousing to a friend about one woe or another (as I am wont to do). He listened to my recitation with appropriate sympathy and with understanding laughter (because I do try to make my stories of woe funny – if you’re going to cry on friends’ shoulders, entertaining them while doing so usually ensures future availability of said shoulders).

Then he uttered this life-altering phrase: “every situation is either a good situation or a good story.”

I stopped moping on the...