Abraham Lincoln once said, “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” If you spend your life viewing everything in a negative light, it will be much harder for you to see the good in everything. Too many people say “I can’t,” and too few say “I will try.”

Perspective is what lifts you up or tears you down. It is what drives you to do better, or allows you to lie down in defeat. It is what makes you bitter and jealous, or grateful for what you have. A person’s perspective can define who they are and how they take on the world.

Granted, we are all human. We all have our problems, our struggles and our limits. However, it happens all too often that people fail to see the light in the world because they dwell on the bad.

It is easier to complain than it is to praise, that is just the way it is. No one, me included, is exempt from criticizing something because it is simply easy. It is easy to complain that you got a bad grade rather than accepting it as an opportunity to grow and learn more. It is easier to complain about the mean people in the world than it is to be grateful for the good ones. However, taking that extra step and taking a more positive outlook on the world can make everything around you just seem more positive.

Perspective can be a hard thing to conquer, there’s no doubt. And no one should be expected to see everything wonderfully with rainbows and butterflies. That is unreasonable, however looking at the good in the world instead of hanging on the bad will create a more optimistic outlook on life, and positivity can spread.

So let’s focus on the rose and not the thorn. Let’s actually try instead of using excuses, because excuses never take anyone anywhere. You cannot change the whole world, however, you can change how you see it. You cannot eliminate struggle, but you can look toward the bright side. Perspective is what turns a bad day into an opportunity for things to improve.