A business partner sent me this story today:

 Two frogs fell into a deep cream bowl.

One was an optimistic soul.

The other took the gloomy view:

“We’ll drown,” he cried, without more ado;

So, with a last despairing cry

He flung up his legs and said “Good-by.”

Said the other frog with a plucky grin,

“I can’t get out, but I won’t give in;

I’ll just swim around till my strength is spent,

Then I can die with more content.”

Bravely he swam till it would seem

His struggles began to churn the cream.

At last on top of the butter he stopped

And out of the bowl he gladly hopped.

What of the moral?  ‘Tis easily found—

When you can’t get out keep swimming around.

My friend knew it, knew I would as well.  That’s because he’s had the experience of feeling up to his neck and having to paddle like crazy to survive.  He also has seen that not giving up and continuing to paddle will frequently create “butter. ”  The story instructs,  but it also encourages. Hope and effort is a winning combination.