Keeping a positive perspective

Oftentimes, life is all about how we look at things and how we perceive them. If we have a positive attitude about something and try to stay positive throughout, it will often make it a good experience. However, if we have a negative attitude about something, or we do not make every effort to be positive, it will often turn out worse than we would have hoped.

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." - Henry David Thoreau

Sometimes, I think happiness is all about making the best of what we have and trying to view the positive in every situation. A happy person can find a ray of light and a way to stay positive in any situation, while an unhappy person could find the silver lining in any situation, even if it's a good one.

Another positive side effect of making the best of everything and staying positive: you will generally be a lot more fun to be around, which will lead to better friendships. I once heard a quote that "Optimists are the human personification of spring." Interesting!

The optimist will brighten up any room that they enter, and they will encourage others to have the same optimistic and positive outlook on life that they have. It is almost a contagious state of mind. How hard is it to stay in a bad mood if you are around someone that is always very joyful?

When you go through hardships, when life seems a little more difficult than it should be, just remember, it's not what you look at, it's what you see. Life is what you make of it.