Became more and more difficult to break them and depress them. In their later years when they faced serious health issues, it didn’t seem to bother them at all. They had become so conditioned to laughing at their problems by putting themselves into Hashem's Hand, and feeling like: כְ גָּמֻ ל עֲ לֵ י אִּ מוֹ תהלים קלא ב a baby in its mother’s hands. Hashem was everywhere in their lives, and He was behind their issues and problems. That’s why they felt they were in good hands, since: כָּל מַ ה דְ עָּ בֵ יד רַ חְ מָּ נָּא לְ טַ ב עָּ בֵ יד ברכות ס ב, שלחן ערוך או"ח רל ה whatever Hashem does, is for the very best. I knew Tzaddikim who always seemed to be laughing (for example, Rav Nosson Wachtfogel). A Baal Bitachon laughs a lot, since he is “above” the materialism of Olam HaZeh.
Being “above” (spiritual) means being positive, calm, forgiving, happy, trusting in Hashem, working on self-esteem, and being a “giver” by being involved in Chesed. Working on Middos and developing a thrill for going against your nature lifts you up tremendously. Seforim on Simcha and Bitachon (especially Madregas HaAdam) can make you enjoy a career of breaking your Middos.
Being negative, critical, worried, and afraid of people and their opinions (without working on it), leaves you in a materialistic mode.
Hashem created us that we should work on being positive. Whether we are actually successful in achieving a positive frame of mind, is a blessing from Shamayim. The main thing is that we put in our efforts. Try to speak positively (especially when you don’t feel like it), learn Mussar, ask Eitzos for how to be positive, and of course, daven repetitively without giving up. Try to thank Hashem more than we ask from Him.
