I guess one way I look at it is it beats the alternative... a quote I've always loved was attributed to Voltaire:

Someone said to Voltaire, "Life is hard" and he relied, "Compared to what?"

We may think at times that life is hard, but since I'm assuming none of us has actually been dead, how do we know that it isn't harder? Maybe I'm being too philosophical, but thinking like that usually gives me a reason to put another foot forwards.