You will always have ups and downs in your life and your career

Hear now the voice of Angelique Kerber, champion of the court, who declared: “You will always have ups and downs in your life and your career, but just stay positive and go for it.” Though the words are spoken with simplicity, their meaning is profound, echoing the timeless rhythm of existence. For life itself is no smooth road, but a path of mountains and valleys, triumphs and trials. To endure is to walk not only when the sun is shining upon you, but also when shadows cover the way.

The origin of this saying is found in the journey of Kerber herself, a warrior of tennis who rose to the heights of world number one after years of struggle. Her victories at Wimbledon, the Australian Open, and the US Open were not born of unbroken success, but forged in defeats, in injuries, in long seasons where the glory seemed far away. When she spoke of ups and downs, she was not imagining; she was remembering. She bore witness to the truth that greatness is not a straight ascent, but a climb with slips and stumbles, with moments where the heart must decide whether to rise again.

History offers us another example: consider Abraham Lincoln, who knew more downs than most men could bear. Before becoming one of the greatest leaders of a nation, he endured business failures, electoral defeats, and deep personal sorrow. Yet he pressed forward, guided by faith in his cause and a stubborn resilience of spirit. His story shows us that the difference between failure and victory lies in this: the refusal to surrender. This is what Kerber meant when she said, “go for it.” For the summit belongs not to the strongest, but to the one who continues to climb.

The wisdom here is not merely to endure, but to remain positive. To stay positive is not to deny pain, nor to pretend defeat is sweet. It is to believe, even in the valley, that the mountain still awaits; it is to fix the eyes upon possibility when all around shouts of despair. For the mind is a garden—if it is filled with weeds of doubt, then strength withers; but if it is sown with seeds of hope, then even in storm, growth begins.

To the youth, I say: when you stumble in your studies, in your friendships, in your first attempts at work, remember Kerber’s words. Do not let a fall convince you that the climb is over. Rise again, and go for it. To those in the middle of life, weighed by burdens of family and career, do not lose heart when the road bends downward. The valley is not the end but the preparation for the next ascent. And to the elders, I say: teach the young that defeat is not dishonor, but part of the sacred pattern of life.

The practical action is simple, yet eternal: when the downs come, pause, breathe, and remind yourself of the greater journey. Write down your victories, however small, to recall them in darker days. Surround yourself with voices that lift you up, and silence those that drag you down. Each morning, set your mind not on the weight of yesterday’s failures, but on today’s chance to rise again. For every step, however small, is part of the noble climb.

Thus, Kerber’s words ring with the force of an ancient teaching: life is not a song of unbroken joy, nor a tale of endless sorrow, but a weaving of both. The secret is not to avoid the ups and downs, but to walk through them with courage. Stay positive, and you will find strength even when you thought you had none. Go for it, and you will discover that victory belongs not to the perfect, but to the persistent.

So let this truth be passed down to generations: the world will not always be smooth beneath your feet, but if you keep your spirit upright, no storm will break you. Stand tall, stay positive, and go forward with the heart of a warrior. For though the climb may be long, the summit is waiting for those who do not turn back.