What Kind Of Universe Do We Live In?

Imagine this: You leave your home town to start your own business, but it doesn’t take off. By the time you’re 21 years old, you (and your venture) are bankrupt. Soon after that, you lose your life partner to a terminal disease. Then, in your 30s and 40s, you try to start a career in politics but end up losing one election after another. Sounds familiar? Actually this is what happened to Abraham Lincoln.

You might call this life trajectory a string of failures. When we’re faced with perceived failures and disappointment, in despair, we tend to give up entirely. Do you focus on the negative, or the positive? There’s no right or wrong in being positive or negative – it’s just a way your mind is “wired”. Some people tend to see the negative more easily, while others have a more positive predisposition.

With that in mind, ask yourself this: is our universe, the world we live in, in essence friendly or hostile – good or bad? – which answer do you tend to lean into: positive, or negative?

The …