I read a quote once. It was something like: If you don't have ups and downs in your life, you're probably dead. It's true. I think that everybody goes through ups and downs in their lives. Some go through more downs than ups and vice-versa. But what it is that a person in the 'down' situation does wrong which leads him towards depression or even suicide? He stops believing!
He loses hope and stops trying for what he wants because he no more believes that he can ever achieve it. It's not true. Great things come to those who never lose hope.
Hope is the fuel of patience and patience is what much needed when you're going through a tough time. Things take time to happen. One just has to believe that everything will be OK. Sooner or later you will have everything you've ever wished for or at least that one thing you desperately want. Life works like that. It tests you patience and you fail it by losing hope and by stop trying for what you always wanted.
I can tell you my very own experience. I wanted to be an editor when I was in school. But unfortunately, I couldn't get the journalism course and took commerce for my bachelors instead. All those years of my college I used to wonder how it would have been to be an editor. A leading publishing company came to our college for recruiting us for management team and I was selected not as a manager but as a Copy Editor. Eventually, I got what I had wished for 3 years ago.
That is what is called LIFE. It has great plans for you. Even if you are broke right now or failed a marriage or cannot get into the college you wanted to, believe me, you will end up having everything if you stay positive.
You just have to understand that it's not the right time for you to get there and have what you want. Just that. and you will never feel helpless again.