Life as an instruction manual

Scott Peck begins his book the road less traveled by saying that life is difficult. It's a universal truth. If life was just meant to have fun, why aren't we all having fun. But on a large scale people are suffering from poverty,famine, rape, illness and many other things no one needs a reminder of. And on a smaller scale we have to deal with many annoying and difficult things on a daily basis. I have tried to start looking at the difficult things in life as opportunities to learn and work on myself. For example: car ride with annoying relative is an opportunity for me to learn patience and the art of keeping my mouth shut. It is a different way of doing things and trying to look at events that usually would piss me of at opportunities to better myself.