Its not a empty platitude, its a philosophy.
Worst case scenario, you hitchhike and go live in the wilderness as a hermit. Once you accept that you can handle the worst case scenario, everything else is manageable. Lost your job, no problem - find work elsewhere, pick up cans, day labor, busk, etc. Lost your house, no problem - couch surf, sleep rough (its summer in the norther hemisphere), camp, shelters, friend network. Legal issues, your not alone, lots of people survive going through the system.
The point is you can control what you can control, everything else you adapt and overcome, let it roll off your back.
Let me try to express it differently - It's not that you can get what you want. It's not that you can control a situation. It's that it's ok not to get what you want, it's ok to not be in control, it's ok that life isn't fair. It's about letting go of attachments to want and desire, and focusing on what you can do with what you have.