Destiny!

Negative:  Often used pejoratively; pessimistic; not seeing the bright side of things.
Positive:  Favorable; optimistic.

Hmmmm.  I wonder which one of those definitions is most apt for me?  Hmmmm.

Nature:  The innate characteristics of a thing.  What something will tend by its own constitution to be or do.
Nurture:  The environmental influences that contribute to the development of an individual.

Who am I, anyway?  What is fixed and what is changeable?  What should I accept and what should I assault with my will? 

To Thine Own Self Be True.  This is the only thing on one side of our AA birthday coins (or anniversary coins, depending on your geographical location); the coin you're supposed to fish out of your pocket unexpectedly, surprising yourself,  when you're really trying to fish out some change to pay for a drink and if you're trying to pay for a drink with spare change you've probably already spent your entire paycheck so go home already.

I'm a negative dude.  I'm wired negative.  I think a negative thought initially much more often than I think a positive one.  And I grew up in a family where the mood was fearful and pessimistic.  That's me.  That's who I am.  That, to some extent, is my destiny.

On the other hand I can choose to switch the narrative around.  Pull the old switcheroo.  I know my tendencies and I have tools to move the thoughts from the dark basement into the sunlight of the spirit, should I choose to do so, should I remember to do so, and I'm happy to report that I usually do.

Destiny:  A predetermined state.

I also want to point out that it's a big part of the human experience to protect yourself by imagining a bad outcome.  It's harder to get eaten by a panther if you are on high alert for a panther attack.  So I'm not totally weird and out of line.

I also want to point out that people that are trying to ferret out problems tend to be successful people.  We head off problems by anticipating them.  This can be a good thing.  This can also be a mental and emotional curse for the overachiever and The Rooms are packed with overachievers.

I know I ramble on about this too much.  It's clearly an important topic for me.