Sometimes, in the midst of personal tragedy, global conflict and uncertainty, or even the mundane slog of daily life, it can be possible to forget just how lucky we are.
Our little piece of paradise in fact offers much to many, and it is important to remember and celebrate the positive in our lives.
The iD Dunedin Fashion Week, which ended on Sunday, offers the latest opportunity to pause and reflect on what a great little city Dunedin is, for example.
The fashion festival brings glitz and glamour to the Edinburgh of the South, with a host of local, national and international designers, models and visitors descending on the city.
A range of events has been on offer: from the headlining emerging designer awards and railway station catwalk shows, to the designer clothing sale for bargain hunters, guided fashion tours, breakfasts, high teas, cocktail parties, film screenings, lectures, and library and museum tours.
With international media in attendance, it is a boon for fashion and tourism alike, and Dunedin's heritage and scenery have also been showcased.
Dunedin designers had their chance to shine in the spotlight: from fashion heavyweight Margarita Robertson, of NOM*d, to others who have done well here and further afield, including Donna Tulloch (Mild Red), Tanya Carlson (Carlson), Charmaine Reveley (with her eponymous label), Sara Munro (Company of Strangers) and Marie Strauss (Dada).
The week celebrated up-and-coming designers too, with many eyes on the talent emerging from the Otago Polytechnic School of Design.
All in all, it is a celebration of the clever, quirky, innovative, stunning and world-class fashion of this city, and the designers and others behind it.
It is undoubtedly one of Dunedin's many success stories, and is testament to the hard work, vision and determination of many through the years, including the committee chaired by Susie Staley.
Its success would not have been possible without the support of local retailers, businesses and organisations, individuals and the public, too.
It is not the only southern fashion festival, of course. Gore's Hokonui Fashion Design Show enjoys similar acclaim, and Central Otago's Wool On Creative Fashion Show is the gala event of the Alexandra Blossom Festival.
And fashion is only one element in a plethora of other artistic galas in the region.
Wanaka's Festival of Colour is a celebration of the arts, set against the spectacular autumnal backdrop of the Southern Lakes.
The recent Dunedin Fringe Festival provided audiences a taste of the weird and wacky, and the biennial Arts Festival Dunedin celebrates the ''excellent and the extraordinary'' with its feast of music, dance, drama and more.
The International Film Festival and other cinema showcases offer something for movie lovers throughout the province, and the upcoming Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival will celebrate local, national and international literary luminaries.
High-profile acts are increasingly being secured for stadium concerts in Dunedin, and a variety of troupes and productions are firm favourites at the city's theatres.
Of course this artistic and cultural diversity is part of a greater mix of events throughout the city and province.
The Queenstown Winter Festival gets the party started in the resort each year, Gore plays host to the Hokonui Moonshiners' Festival and the NZ Gold Guitar Awards.
When it comes to sport and recreation, Central and Otago and the Queenstown Lakes District have a raft of high-profile multisport events.
Golf fans recently enjoyed top-class action at the NZ Golf Open in Arrowtown, rugby fans have enjoyed more Highlanders' home games, the city has held rugby and cricket World Cup matches, and Dunedin will soon be a host city for Fifa's second-biggest tournament worldwide - the Under-20 Football World Cup.
In the shadow of Anzac weekend, and the centenary of the Gallipoli landing, and as New Zealand commits troops to another war zone, as housing affordability and employment issues continue to fester, and the spectre of winter power prices loom, it is certainly worth accentuating the positives.
The sense of vibrancy, diversity and community we have - as the long list of events above is testament - is surely worth celebrating.
