We’ve all heard the claim that life’s what you make it, but is it really? I’d have to say, yes it is... but I'm going to leave that for you all to decide.

When it comes to the discussion of life being purely a walk of pleasure as opposed to a full on struggle some may agree with me and say yes, while others may say no. This is something that philosophers dwell on and artists spend days on end depicting. I don’t believe that life is a pleasure walk or a struggle, it’s a mixture of both.

We can’t appreciate the good or “pleasurable” times if we don’t experience struggle from time to time.

Nobody’s life is perfect, we all know that, some are just better at masking hardships. Some people go through life happy with not a care in the world while others suffer from depression or simply experience hardships that hinder their ability to seek pleasure or be happy. Life is said to be the sum of your beliefs and thoughts regarding life itself. Think about it, if you grew up and were taught that all there is to life is struggle and disappointment then every experience in your life will be fit within that frame of thinking. Instead of being open-minded and thinking about all the things that could go right, you focus in on the bad and constantly expect bad things to occur. Always expecting the worst is what some will call a self-fulfilling prophecy, it’s purely allowing what you think is going to happen, to happen. I’m not saying that throughout life everything is going to perfect and nothing bad is going to happen. Bad things do happen, but it really all depends on how you view the said situation. As they say, “is the glass half full or half empty?” It really just depends on who is judging it.

People don’t realize sometimes how their way of thinking actually affects their quality of life. If you’re always thinking negatively then negative things are bound to happen, if you think positively then positive things may begin to surface. I’m not saying that if you make a wish, it’s going to come true but just think about it, you never know what could happen. You know what they say, what you put out in the universe is bound to come back to you. If you believe that life is meant to be a struggle, ask yourself how this belief helps you or why you think this way. Does it make you happier? Does it make your life seem purposeful? I highly doubt it. If you create unnecessary struggle and stress for yourself, you are in the majority.

There is much more to the thoughts of struggle in life but again, it’s all a matter of perspective what may seem as a struggle to one maybe a source of happiness and contentment for another.

Now on to the walk of pleasure… It’s all about balance you need the rain to bring the rainbow. There are people all around us who go about life feeling invincible and acting as if “life is like a box of chocolates” there isn’t anything wrong with that necessarily. This world needs optimists because without them this world may as well be full of storms and dark skies. If those around you don’t display pleasure then be a starter, be the one who brightens up the days of those around you. There are so many good things about life, so many firsts, milestones, and accomplishments. Yes, there are going to be setbacks but don’t allow those to set you back on your goals and desires.

Life truly is what you make it. The world is yours, welcome it with open arms and see where it takes you, you may be surprised in the end. My suggestion to you is live life day by day, find the unpredictable, the unexpected, see where life takes you. Find the good in every day and work through the bad because the sun will come up tomorrow.