Resolve
 

Life seems to be getting hard everywhere. My sister speaks of the woes of living in East London relative to parking, crowds and congestion.

We speak of the poor wage economy in NZ, the seemingly endless spiral of all costs, the shrinking job market and expanding house price issue over here.

What keeps up peoples' resolve in these difficult times to get to the end of their journey and to where ever it is they want to be?

Looking for positivity here, I like some others need a big shot of it!!!

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Pure bloody-mindedness!

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Weighing it all up I'd still rather be here than there. :thumbup:

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We have been here for 9 years now.

Started my business four years ago, very nearly went bust last year, unexpectedly so, scared the crap out of me. Our income took a dive and I had to consider chucking it in and trying to get a job.

But I am still here, still in business and very glad for it. We got through, by being flexible in how we gather our income, selling stuff on trademe, car boots etc. We had a sleepout, which we advertised on a travel website, after a fresh coat of paint soon we were earning $400-$600 week over Nov - Jan

My wife went and got a job, but it had to be part time and she really did not want to open mussel shells. What she did always want to do is work with horses and we knew one of the local vineyards had a couple of Clydesdales, which they used in place of a tractor. To cut a long story short, she is now driving and responsible for the only horses used in a NZ vineyard, in one of the premier organic estates in Marlborough. And I am right proud of her.

I have a small wine label, which is now starting to take off, had some great reviews and have done well in competitions. I have only just started to make some income from it, but it feel great to have a another source.

So 2013 feels positive from our perspective, my company is doing OK now, but I also do not have to rely on it 100% to pay the bills. I work from home, spend time with our kids, my wife and I are happy.

We live in a beautiful part of the world, its very sparely populated and many of the people we know, are like us, having more than one source of income. I get to barter wine in exchange for olive oil and other produce. Melisa gets veggies from her work, plus the occasional full tank of diesel.

None of this would have been possible if we were living in Auckland.....

I am not sure what you want to hear Genesis, but I do not think NZ is a land of milk and honey, but it does allow us to live a life so utterly unlike anything I had experienced back in the UK. And we are much better for it.

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Wanted to hear tales of inspiration and hearty news just like what you posted up there. Good on you. I am sure whoever posts what will be a filip for those of us (like me) who sometimes struggle with life and the 'black dog' where ever we may be.

Apparently there is a way through.

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Are you the person who was asking about credit card payments at shows. I had an email from Swipe HQ who are coming out with a smartphone card swiper. Have a google. I don't know the company so do all the duty of care stuff. Sounds a bit like Paypal.

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Great post Catchafire.

We are only 2 1/2 months in on our big journey and things have been challenging already. OH packed in his job and has just started up his own business :eek: scary but much easier to do here than in the UK and to add to the stress he has gone and ruptured his Achilles' tendon! Fun and games.

There is nothing I particularly miss about the UK (perhaps not surprising as I'm a kiwi) but I REALLY miss people. The culture shock for me has been finding out my view point or point of reference has completely changed. I felt the shift about six months before we left the UK, all of a sudden I felt quite British :eek: so I guess Britain feels like my safe place. I have days where I am really stressed and all I want is what is familiar, but I know this is just emotion and not rational thinking at the moment. If I felt the same way in 12 months who knows.

For me the turning point would be when the negative outweighs the positive. Or to quote ScottishStacey "when the shit outweighs the shiny" or something like that :thumbsup:

Complicated when there is more than one of you in a family. I would probably move back to the UK if my OH wanted to (desperately) but we are very happy with our move so far, but do realise that it will take more time to adjust fully and for all of us to integrate.

I really miss family in the UK. Skype is fab but at the moment it just makes me more sad and seeing them upset is difficult as well. I'm sure they miss our kids more than us!

No magic formula though, everyone's priorities are so different. No help am I.

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For me, the first 18 months here were totally shite*, the 12 months after that were a bit shite, and since then things have just been unsatisfactory.

So at least things are on an upward path!

You cannot change the past, but you can learn from it.




*not completely, the money that we brought from the UK made it feel more like a holiday at first but that wore off after six months.

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I think you've just got to tell yourself that it WILL get better. We're going through a hard time atm, i cant find a job here - not even a minimum wage one. Daves working hard doing nightshifts now delivering to supermarkets. The fact that we now have our own place but i cant find work is putting a lot of stress on us. Ive applied for several college courses because i know i cant work in a min wage job the rest of my life anyway but even getting into college/uni is extremely hard here now - they have so many applicants.

Anyway, what im trying to say is it will get better eventually. You just have to think positive

Danni - i think what i had been trying to say is when the shit bucket outweighs the good one lol, i think i picked it up from genesis. But im going to use when the shit outweighs the shiney - sounds better!

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Fair comment. I can relate to your 'first 18 months' comment, followed by 12 months of not quite so crap.

First five months in NZ - horrible. The nineteen months that came after that we stabilised. We are only now just starting to come out of the woods......I think.

Resolve ? Um, kinda in to deep to pull out now. Gotta see it through.

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Who can blame you after arriving to the earthquakes! Glad to hear things are improving now

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Its not insensitive at all. :D

Remember that I am English so it is a victory to be able to make light out of what would otherwise be an overwhelming situation. :thumbsup:

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As I am pretty new to BE I can't offer any advice on life in NZ vs UK etc but I can give you a dose of POSITIVITY if you want it. Bit nervous but here goes:

Come on you can do it!
Be strong in yourself, think of all the things you have achieved.
I'm sure you are loved, even on this forum everyone seems to hold you in such high regard and you are willing to help others with your words of wisdom and advice. Most people probably just lurk here and take advice (maybe myself) but you spend the time to help people.

I try not to think too much about the future, I know this is hard in practice (especially with 2 kids). Most people tend to think things will get worse, go wrong, what if etc. But always things could get better- who knows!! Life is hard no matter what, I really really couldn't be bothered getting out of bed this morning- bad, then took the dogs for a walk in the snow and it was beautiful- good but it was freezing- bad.

There is no end (well not when you are living) experiences are constant, I try to not get too attached to them good or bad. Happiness it not to be found with any effort or will or journey around the world, it is here already around you, sometimes the quest for happiness is the thing that gets in the way of being happy.

You are great, everything will change soon and you might be able to adapt to the new situation better than the one you are in at the moment.

Sending all my positivity to you!
:amen:

To ScottishStacey hope you find a job soon, I know things are had in Scotland at the moment you will get a job soon or you could win the lottery- always a chance!:fingerscrossed:

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Thats a really nice post to Genesis! Very wise lol. Thank you - yeah its hard here. Im sure i'll pick a job or course up eventually

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Genesis, dear boy, what is it that you enjoy doing? Hobbies, if you will?

No matter how rubbish I'm feeling about life, for me it's a nice long bike ride (cycling as opposed to motorbike), a hot shower and a cuddle with my 2 year old.

I find riding my bike allows me to get my agression out at first. When that has subsided I have time to think and realise life isn't all that bad. I've got my health, my home, my job, my family, I have food in the fridge and no one is knocking on my door collecting debts from me.

By the time I get home I've forgotten why I was even pissed off in the first place. Everyone loves a shower. And 2 year olds practically live with rose tinted spectacles on such is their innocence, the world is never a stress unless you can't reach the biscuit tin on the sly - this is refreshing to me.

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I deleted reply along the same as tommyluck

get home after crappy day (almost every one just now) get pounced on by our new 8 month old collie, get the ipod and we go for a run for 1-2 hrs, I listen to the music while watching him chase rabbits and deer:D

By the time we get home the wife and two kids are back from work and uni sit down eat, talk and squabble and have forgotten what I was worried about (for wee while)

Everyone should try to have an escape be it a hobby, family or friends

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I am a petrol head and currently thinking about buying a modern day classic to replace my MPV (we have 2, don't need 2!) and an older classic that I have ALWAYS wanted to own. Going to look at it this arvo. I do lots of fitness, really enjoy cooking, DIY (sounds like a resume!!) and love my dear wife Kate immensely (and my 3 wonderous kids obviously!!).

I do have much to be happy about but we have a particularly 'spirited' boy who is now 11 almost 12 and has been 'spirited' since birth. Kate is VERY cool and calm and even she refers to him as a very (albeit a lovely and very VERY intelligent boy!) challenging child.

Kate and I have been through a rough patch with general 'life stress' but we are both working our way back to 'positive street'. I am aware that I need to get on and do more with MY life, I have lots of spare time and need to start using it better. Those Blokarts WILL be out soon....my neighbour keeps nagging me to get down the beach.

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Ah, yes! Land yachts we called them back in the 70's... As a brainless teenager I was living in a place called Kambalda, about 50 miles east of Kalgoorlie, in Western Oz. Right next to us was Lake Lefroy - a salt lake. Used to get out on the lake and get up to some pretty hair-raising speeds, even for me!! :rofl: Saw one bloke who hit one of the rare patches of 'water', and his yacht dug in and stopped dead. Idiot wasn't wearing his harness and shot out of the yacht like an arrow from a bow. Ever head of 'rubbing salt in the wound'....? :eek: He looked like hamburger all across his back! Didn't stop him though - once he'd (almost) healed up he was back out there, just as crazy as ever. :thumbup:

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Sounds like you've got an idea of how to progress, now for the hard part. Getting out there and enjoying YOUR life.

Which is perhaps not always the life you play as dad and husband ... ?