He was to recruit David and set him on the course that would lead to his becoming king. Fortunately, Samuel had the good sense to obey God and move forward, even though it must have been hard for him to let go of his anguish over Saul at first. The fact that Samuel was able to get beyond his remorse over Saul and turn his attention to David not only benefitted him and David but a whole nation of people as well. From the evidence we have, Samuel enjoyed working with David, a close bond of friendship developed between them, and Samuel's interest in life and ministry revived. Samuel is an inspiring example of someone from Scripture who learned to turn the page.
Some people are simply natural-born optimists.
Their ability to see the bright side of a dark situation and reset their sites after disappointment is almost surreal. It's mystifying to the rest of us, who are often flattened by the same misfortune. Most of us have to work at being optimistic. We have to take decisive steps to break the spell of moods that can hold us captive for long periods. The challenge is particularly great when we experience a serious loss, for it can cast a dark shadow over our life from that point on and forever color our perception of what God would make possible for us to accomplish.