"Change the way you look at things and and the things you look at change" is a quote by Dr. Wayne Dyer whom I admire and follow.  Not only do I completely agree with this, it can be the catalyst for one to live their life with this type of philosophy at any given time.  When I think about myself in my younger years, I do remember moments of self doubt and wishing that I had the life of someone else.  I guess like most young people, one wishes that they had lots of discretionary income, a model family that lives in a big house and lots of friends to call upon at any given time.  The truth is, I had to work for any extra income in my youth, however, I was blessed to have a grandmother who always had something extra for me.  The houses that I grew up in changed over time, however, they were never the kind that had the backyard pool. Where I did live we seemed to have plenty of space and there was always something to eat.  I know as a child it was a luxury to go to a fast food restaurant and for the most part ate homemade meals that were either cooked by mom or grandmother.  I did not not have the large group of friends that were super popular at school, however, I did have some very close friends and family members that were part of my support circle, who until this day are still a constant presence.  What I also grew up with was a positive attitude, even though it seemed to abandon me during my adolescent years.  I had a steady caring mother and grandmother who laughed when things went wrong and showed great resilience during my entire life.  When I read this quote today by Dr. Dyer, I completely got it, as I had been brought up to change the way that I looked at things.  I can't thank my family circle enough for having the fortitude to instill this type of thinking in me from such a young age.  Although challenges in life come and go, I feel that that being balanced all the time has become my goal.  I am grateful everyday that I am blessed to have another one and I always try to learn something new from each day.  How I look at things also comes with my inherited sense of humor, as everyday there is always something that I can laugh about or make me smile.  My advice to anyone who feels that they need a change in their life is to do what the quote says.  Think of the days in your life as having an opportunity to try out a new pair of sunglasses to look at the world through.  Don't keep wearing the same ones everyday, as it will not yield enough variety on how you view things.  As the days change, then change along with it and look at each day with those new pair of shades that can make you feel as if you were experiencing something new, different and positive.  Remember that you were not meant to live a mediocre life, you were meant to live an extraordinary life and that can be achieved by the attitude and perspective that you wake up with when the sun creeps in your room to greet you in the morning.