When times get tough, at some point, people instinctively know they need to lighten up in order to get through it.

We've had some tough times, but we've hung in there.

I don't know a startup that hasn't been through tough times.

Zen teaches that once we can open up to the inevitability of our demise, we can begin to transform that situation and lighten up about it.

Your attitude is like a box of crayons that color your world. Constantly color your picture gray, and your picture will always be bleak. Try adding some bright colors to the picture by including humor, and your picture begins to lighten up.

Tough times don't last, but tough people do. And I've been through some tough times, and I know a lot of people can recall tough times, and maybe are going through some tough times right now, but they don't last.