What’s the best advice you’ve been given about dealing with life’s ups and downs?

I’ve certainly had my ups and downs in life, and my life has also been very public. I’ve always managed to hold my head high, and picked myself up, dusted myself off, and found the courage to start again. Love and support from family and friends has carried me through my toughest times, and I’m interested to hear from New Zealanders about what has helped them survive the hard times in their lives.





For more details about me, read the Yahoo!Xtra Answers blog... http://nz.blogs.yahoo.com/answers/35/suz…What’s the best advice you’ve been given about dealing with life’s ups and downs?
I';ve had my ups and downs but one thing i will never forget is what my mother told me ';that any day above ground is a good day';What’s the best advice you’ve been given about dealing with life’s ups and downs?
Hello Suzanne and first of all congrats on winning ';Dancing With The Stars.';





Love and support from both of my parents has also helped me as well as certain songs , especially the lyrics mostly.


I've always found ';Heroes'; by David Bowie to be inspirational because eventhough in the song it states the lovers can't be together which is depressing they still have hope to carry on even if for just one day which is inspiring though their circumstances.
With every action there comes a consequence - some great and some awful, so I believe as long as you are being true to yourself with what you do, that you will always get through the ups and downs. Not all bad is negative in that, sometimes good comes from it - maybe a new direction etc - you know like lifes way of giving you a shake and saying ';take this road';
Love many, Trust few


Always paddle your own canoe
this is what my friend told me which really helped me and made me think:





';things don't always pan out how we want it or how we plan it but it these challenges or obstacles in our life's journey that god has in place for us, its not there to make our lives difficult and for it to seem impossible to live but instead these hardships, challenges, and obstacles are there to make you a stronger, better more mature and healthier person inside and out. Its one placed so you can learn from your own mistakes and grow from them into a much wiser person in the near future.';
SUZZANE ARE YOU INTERESTED IN A RESEARCH PROJECT INVOLVING STUDY OF ENTREPRENEURS IN NZ WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED A BUSINESS FAILURE - I HAVE FULL ETHICAL APPROVAL FROM THE UNIVERSITY AND CAN SEND YOU THE DETAILS OF THIS PROJECT. YOUR VIEWS CAN HELP FUTURE ENTREPRENEURS IN THIS COUNTRY.PLEASE EMAIL ME IF INTERESTED. THANKS
I don't know you, never hard of you, but if you have been knocked down and have picked yourself up then I applaud you. This is something we have all had to do in our lives. This is part of life's experience.However if you are a ';celebrity'; then don't expect any extra plaudits from me . You live your life - I'll live mine
never too young and never too old to start again. Never give up. Never say never.
';Whatever doesn't kill ya makes you stronger.';
I also have had my ups and downs, and have found the support of my family and friends the best medicine to have picked myself up and start again. Also I think the power of positive thinking and trying not to dwell on the negative is a huge healer.
My grandma's advice, when in trouble, don't sit down and weep for too long. Get up and get going, pick yourself up because no one else is going to do it for you. Once you've picked yourself up, the ones that love you see your strength and progress and it helps them to keep on supporting you too. Indeed, it is their love that gets you through these times and combined with your own strength, they make a powerful duo. Look at your future, the past doesn't define who you are today, but who you are today, will define your future.
Like yourself, I have certainly had my share of hard times. What has got me through is my love for and from my children and my love for and from my Lord Jesus.
Keep battling on and don`t look back
Up's and Down's are life's continuous happening. My advice is be cool always. If you are carried away by emotion or mental health, try to rest and go away from the situation. Walk away.
you have to take the good with the bad
I was really low and was going to turn gay , but my new partner saved me from that now I am on a high all the time
Everything is temporary,so whether it's good or bad it will soon be over. Enjoy the good moments and if it's a bad moment at least you'll know it wouldn't last.
Basically we know that most of lifes ups and then downs are results of worrying about things. I heard a statistic stating that 95% of the things that people worry about never happen. And I have heard that both the Deli lama and Jesus both said ';do not worry about tommorrow for tommorrow will have enough worries of its own.'; So basically quit worrying!
';It is not so much what happens to you in life, but how you deal with it inside your head. So much is random and out of our control and can't be changed. The way we perceive it, can.';
I was told years ago by a retired Pastor friend to NEVER make decisions when I'm feeling either too high or too low. Wait for the mood to stabilise then make the decision.





I'm bi-polar so this was of particular value for myself. But I think its great advice for everyone really.





Good luck with your research. Hope this helps.
Hi suzanne, nice to ';meet you'; lol, I am a great fan of yours, but not in a scary freakish sort of way, just of admoration :)





My life has also had its ups and downs, (without the critical public eye) My childhood wasnt easy, but Ive come through to have my life exactly how Ive wanted it through my own determination and effort, as you have.


I will be honest, I dont remember alot of the bad stuff that happened to me as a child (I was ward of the state in NZ from birth till I was 12 years old) so my bad memory has in some weird way, been a saviour, but I have always been the sort of person who looks at life as ';half full'; I look at the negative things that have happened as things that have indeed happened, and I make sure they wont happen again (to me or especially my children) I realised at an early age, that you have to make yourself happy, no one else can do that for you, and thinking positive is a state of mind that will help, where as thinking negatively will only bring you down.





Sorry to ramble, I can go on for a long time, but have pretty much given the jist of it... thanks for reading, and I wish you all the very best with your upcoming plans.
My Mum (I love her soooo much!!) has always told me that if I cant see any hope in my situation and if I have lost faith in myself then I am up the boowai without a paddle!! :-)





And the other thing that carries me through when things get tough is to always look for the good in my situation because no matter how small that good is - it will be there
I went through a messy marriage breakup (quite a while ago). My husband had been selliing off my shares without my knowledge. (He also had a girlfriend or two stashed away). I was at my lowest ebb, having just lost my dad. I still don't know where it came from but out of nowhere my sense of humour returned with a vengeance, along with my fighting spirit.


I moved out with our three children to a cheap shabby flat and somehow had the best time in my life. I found me and my kids. Also the undying support of family.


I have recently comeback again after having an aneurysm leak on the brain. Without my sense of humour and kids, I would have had half a life. Like you Suzanne I am a fighter. It's not easy but like you I have ben blessed with a wicked sense of humour. I am sure this is what has made the difference between acceptance or desperation
hey there!!! People like you Suzzanne are an inspiration to alot of people, myself included. Life isnt like a box of choccies, its like a bicycle, u just gotta get back on if u fall. Dont listen to negative advise and just be yourself, cliche i know, but it seems to be the right way. You only have urself to blame so u might as well live ur way. Keeping active helps me plenty. Going for a walk in a park or around the duck pond is good for me. I like to think of the positives and be around happy people.
Life goes on as a teacher!every day has a new lesson ...harder and you should know how to play this game to be the winner with all the things you have learned! It teaches us to know ourselves and how can we use our abilities .


To win this game we don't need anything more than ourselves!


It's me as I am and I will win as I have so many powers although I do not know them!God helps me... :)
well suzane i think you have done well i came from fiji with $2000 when i was 19 years of age got involved in car industry did very well workin for a company for five years than started my own car yard with twenty cars and after two years later opened 5 caryards with 4oo cars in a partnership which was going very well untill nz government deregulated lmvd licence our profit margins shrunk overnight still we carried on for another year or so until my business partner misused funds to import boats from usa which never exist finally i had to go through bankruptcy like you did . I always was positive with my self not anything letting me down and am still surviving which is helping me a lot and still carrying on with the same industry as a overseas buyer for other car companies and hopefully i will open another car yard of my own in the near future.
That everyone is unique in their own way. Take encouragement from family and friends they are the best support for anyone. Remember to forgive if you have been hurt by someone. This helps you to be a peaceful and loving person not an angry and bitter person. Lastly we have only one life so don't waste it, live life to the fullest being happy in what you do:)
that old standby: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.





also robert fulghum's 'everything i need to know about life i learned in kindergarten' is pretty accurate, my husband and i truly believe that piece of work.





i have always told my kids ';you don't live in that person's skin, so you don't know what the truth is about what happens in their life';. in other words, don't believe gossip.





and last but not least: if you can't look at yourself in the mirror at the end of the day, then you have to make amends tomorrow!
see : )
If you always treat others as you would like them to treat you - in most instances, makes life easier - and often good things come right back to you. I think that if you treat others abysmally, so your life will reflect your rewards
I have learned to surround myself with gentleness. I avoid judemental types who usually come from ignorance or a mean spirit. I try to treat myself as if I am my own child - lovingly.


I accept the knocks as a challenge to be overcome.


I accept my inadequecies with humility and humour.


I dont try to measure up to what others achieve but what I have been given to work with. I embrace my own unique talent with joy and passion.


I try to.keep a balance in my life between work, family, friends, hobbies, health and recreation and give 100% attention to each.


I try not be dutiful but genuine with my time for others.


I try to learn from my mistakes and forgive myself (over and over again!).