Sob sisters and merry sunshines

We still live in the best and worst of times.  It's all happening but we choose a perspective.  So much so that a particular perspective becomes a prat of our identity, or becomes an excuse for failing at making a true attempt to come to grip with the struggles and the joys that we encounter.  If you conflate struggle with a joy, "I'm learning so much from this" are you facing away or towards the true.  Are you in or out of the cave?