Grab life by the balls, and don't let go...
I guess I'm the proverbial optimist. My philosophy has always been to fish for opportunity, and when it strikes, hang on for the ride. Remember, it's never about you, but about everything around you, to which, ironically, you are inextricably linked. Resistance to change is man's greatest pitfall.
As for Buddha's reference to suffering, he must have got it wrong; in may case anyway. I'm always suspicious about the sayings or thoughts of Buddha, the Christ, Mohammed the Prophet, and all those who claim to speak or write for them. Men have a tendency to re-write history to suit their selfish objectives, and that includes all the classic theological texts. What we quote today is nowhere near what the attributed originators even said, meant or thought. It's all hypocrisy!
Live for yourself, listen to yourself, speak for yourself, see for yourself, but most of all, think for yourself...