Occurrences in our lives change the way we view the world. Our perspective can change for the best, but it can just as easily change for the worst. Chris Pine once said, "The only thing you sometimes have control over is perspective. You don't have control over your situation. But you have a choice about how you view it."

Personally, my perspective has been altered several times in the past couple of months. Going through a transition of any kind can have that affect on a person. Moving to college changed my point of view on several things- my outlook on the world, what really matters and what REALLY doesn't, half glass full versus half glass empty, whose opinions I value the most, who I want to associate myself with, etc.

Moving to college, however, is only one mere event that has changed my way seeing things. A run in with death after appendicitis took a turn for the worst forever altered my perspective on just how fragile life can be. Most recently, the sudden passing of a close friend (who I consider more like family) proved to me and my loved ones how precious every moment we spend together is. Tragic events have opened my eyes drastically to how limited our time here is. Life is not something we should take for granted. It sounds cliché, but every moment is a blessing we should be thankful for. You never know when the last time you will see someone will be- a realization that has really hit home for me.

One of the greatest changes in perspective I have seen in myself has been my view on friends. In high school, I used to think that the quantity of friends I had was what mattered, but that has been proven to be so wrong. These days, quality is much greater than quantity. I would rather have two or three best friends than a dozen acquaintances.

Another great point of view that has changed, and should change in everyone, relates to love, how you should be treated and how you are being treated. Until you receive the love and respect you deserve, you do not realize what anyone really means by that statement. I, for one, settled for far less than I deserved in the boy department for too long. It was not until I actually felt my love reciprocated back to me (times 10) that I actually understood just how important it is to settle for more.

Perspectives change and people change which is completely fine. When you change, you grow. When you grow, you become a better version of yourself than you were yesterday. Here's to a year of changing perspectives and growing as individuals!