Have you ever seen that meme where there are two people standing on either side of a number of the ground? One of them says it’s a 6 and the other says it’s a 9 and the lesson we’re supposed to take from that is that they’re both right, from their respective perspectives. But one of them is actually correct, right? Perspective isn’t enough. You need context. And this week’s vlog puts everything into context.

There are many great lessons we can glean from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, like deciding whether or not we should murder our uncles. Because there is nothing good or bad in this world, but thinking makes it so. At least that’s what the Danish prince tells us.

The truth is, as I discuss in this week’s vlog, even the objective reality of the situation is ultimately relative. How you choose to frame the situation will directly impact how you choose to interpret the objective facts of the situation.

Comparing yourself only with your immediate peer group will yield an entirely different perspective than if you were to compare yourself to people who live in a poverty-stricken developing country halfway around the world. As important as discussion on income inequality in places like the United States might be, the poorest Americans are generally still wealthier than a great number of the world’s citizens.

That doesn’t make it right, of course, but it does put things into perspective.

As much as you might struggle with the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, many more people are struggling with far more difficult and pressing problems. While this might not make you feel any better, it is a reminder that we should all exercise gratitude regularly and take the time to recognize the positives in our lives.

You have the power to choose how you see the world. And you don’t need to be a contemplative prince of Denmark to make the world a better place for everyone.