It just makes sense

Years ago, when I was studying in the field of Rehabilitation, we focused on the idea of doing Strengths/Needs assessments with developmentally disabled clients - working out how to use a person's strengths to address their weaknesses and help them be employable. For example, a person's innate eagerness to please others can be an asset in learning how to get along in the workplace.

This always seemed like a good idea to me. Use something positive to solve a negative. Take something bad and use it in a good way. Match excesses to deficits.

An example: It's hard for me to break bad habits or change how I do things. Health issues particularly give me trouble. I usually go for what is comfortable, feels good, tastes good... instead of eating right, exercising etc. I started walking, not really for exercise and weight loss (which was certainly the 'need') but for the joy of being outside and having time to myself. Mark and I continue to go on hikes and walks because we like to spend time together - and the health advantage is the 'extra' rather than the imperative. I know I wouldn't do it if all I was going to get out of it was long-term health benefits. I'm just 'wired' like that.

Looking at most problems and solutions in this way has advantages. Negatives and positives can often match up with a 'positive' result. Of course, sometimes that isn't the case - another example: In Seattle's early days an unscrupulous lumber mill owner convinced the 'city fathers' to haul away his unwanted sawdust to use as fill to build the town up above tide level. This resulted in the eventual decay of town streets to the point where potholes were named and mapped, and were so deep and wide that enterprising citizens built rafts and ran 'ferry' services to help people cross them.

Better examples surely abound of making lemonade out of lemons... but I can't think of them at the moment. Except for the one that prompted this discussion in the first place - a headline in today's news:
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"Human fat fuels boat"

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Now there's an idea!