No Namby-Pambys Allowed

From the Ship of Fools Tarot, the Five of Cups:

This Fool has just filled all the tubs for the animals, only to find one has been overturned.  He's distraught because he's had to interrupt his own breakfast to clean up the mess.  The scene makes me think of the saying, "There's no use crying over spilled milk."  What's happened can't be changed, so instead of wringing his hands, he'd best find a way to deal with it.  It seems like the more plans I make, the more my straight paths get turned into winding roads and exit ramps.  It's nothing personal, it's just life.  I need friends who will tell me straight up, like Geico's drill instructor-therapist, to stop whining about life and go out and live it. 

From the Wisdom of the Four Winds comes the Water Child of the West, "Eel:"

Longfin eels have an unusual migration system.  They mature into fertile adults in fresh water, then swim out to the sea to breed.  Their offspring spend several years growing in the ocean, then make the journey back to the fresh water river home of their parents.  Often droughts or floods can make the journey back a tough one, and why the eel is associated with determination.  Eel reminds me that I'll always have challenges in life, especially where goals are concerned, but perseverance rather than sitting on my pity pot is what will aid my progress.