1. You have to face up to lots of difficulties in the rest of your life and GET OVER them. 2. You have to face up to lots of difficulties in the rest of your life and rise above them. They are more or less similar, except that get over gives it a meaning of solving and dealing with those difficulties, while rise above means that you don't let them affect you.

No, not correct. Example: He still has not got over his son's death. He is still feeling the acute pain of bereavement. Example: The President urges Congressmen to rise above petty party politics, focus on the greater good of the nation and give bipartisan support to the Immigration (Reform) Bill.

Moira, I agree with you, though I don't think you will get any comments that you need to rise above! ; =)

Personally I don't really like the way the original sentences run. I prefer, "You have to face up to lots of difficulties and deal with them." If you face up to them and deal with them they are, by definition, dealt with, and therefore may not need any 'getting over.' Nor may you need to 'rise above them.' For example, I had a lot of difficulties looking after my elderly incontinent mother, who also had Alzheimer's disease. I had to deal with these things. There was nothing there 'to get over' or 'rise above.' When she died - that was something I had to 'get over.' And the comments I might get about THIS comment I may have to 'rise above!'

You get over a defeat, a failure, a setback, a bereavement, etc. You rise above a restrictive situation (humble background, class, prejudice, etc)