I recently read an "answer" on Quora from someone who met Bowie in person. He described him as one of the most charismatic and confident people he'd ever met in his life and he changed the entire vibe of the room when he walked in, which probably isn't all that tough when you're famous.

How to mend things when they stop working? The best advice I can think of is listen to your intuition, that's where the answer is usually hiding. So much in this life is out of our control. Sometimes we just need a good diversion, like Bowie.