Check out Don Miller's blog and what he has to say about self-pity.
http://donmilleris.com/2009/08/16/self-pity-how-to-be-downwardly-mobile/
I especially love this quote: "... you either get bitter or you get better. It’s that simple. You either take what has been dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. The choice does not belong to fate, it belongs to you." Great stuff!