When you're a freshman in college, you most likely come home for the summer. You leave what you think is the paradise of college to the boring old place you once called your home. Fast forward a few years, and college isn't what it used to be. You probably have a job, look forward to the weekends so that you can catch up on sleep or get laundry done. You go to the bar on a weeknight because you have class later that day, and the fact that you're 21 isn't new anymore. You go from thinking college is heaven on earth, to cherishing every second you spend at home. See what happened here? With time and experience, your perspective changes.
This is just a small example of the power of perspective. Cherishing time away from home solidifies your need for independence. Begging to be able to go home for a few days in college shows the value you place in family and recuperation. But perspective really is everything. It's not only how you see things, but its also how you feel them.
Let's say you fail an exam. It was a super important exam, and it's going to cause you to get a lower grade for the class. You can either freak out and start becoming a nervous wreck over something so small, or take a second to relax, and realize that life will go on. Many people pick the first option and burn themselves out.
It's the same with how you see life, overall. Happiness is not a destination, or even a journey. Happiness is a choice, an outlook -- a perspective. You can choose to see all of the negatives in life, or you can look at all the positives of a given situation. Got into a fender bender? Well, at least everyone's OK. Failed an exam? I'll do better next time. Get rejected when you asked someone out? Someone better will come along. Having a positive perspective on the world and on life will not only make everything around you seem better, but it will make you view yourself in a better light as well.
