I am 100% convinced that your fortunes are tied to your attitude. People who mope around feeling sorry for themselves tend to have a dark cloud over them.
Not to mention that self-pity makes for poor box office. Instead of feeling sorry for these people, I try to get as far away from them as I can.
Self-pity (along with envy and jealousy) are self-destructive emotions. It ages you faster, makes you miserable to be around and thus causes more health problems. That's why these people really do seem to have more bad things happen to them then others. If you have a "woe is me" attitude about life, it will become a self-fulling prophecy.
Having a positive attitude definitely helps you get through the rough patches that everybody has in life and in my opinion, being happy and positive keeps you healthier and other successful people will want to be around you.
Surround yourself with winners and distance yourself from losers.
Amen to that.