Sometimes the universe gives; sometimes it takes. And what are we supposed to do while all this cosmic giving and taking is going on? Should we just sit around worrying about what might be taken from us next or wondering hopefully, whether we may yet be about to become fortunate recipients? Perhaps we should learn to recognize that we ourselves are fundamental and essential parts of the universe itself. We can always choose whether to give or to take and the more you give, today, the more you will get back.Optimists are often accused of seeing the world through rose-tinted spectacles. But surely better by far to colour one's vision in this way than to peer out at the universe through a welder's helmet. When we limit the amount of light that reaches our retina, everything starts to look dark. But that doesn't mean that the world actually is so featureless and grey. Now, what's really on your horizon? If you can't see an opportunity, that's not because it isn't there. It's because you aren't looking for it properly!