Destiny

Destiny. Fate. Whatever you want to call it. The notion that everything that might happen to an entity is predetermined. People have been known to give their life to this concept, with the faith that whatever destiny has in store for them, will happen, no matter what. So why try? If the future is already written, why should I make an effort to build it? This kind of mentality is extremely, extremely dangerous, which is why it is necessary to clarify what destiny means for me.

If we take the most common interpretation of it, destiny is what is behind an invisible and intangible curtain. It is a piece of paper that stretches all the way from our conception to our eventual demise. On the paper is written everything that has happened and everything that will. 

Everything that has happened is already in your mind, as memories, and whatever will happen is constantly entering your mind, again, as memories. These remembrances-to-come are not known to you until they have already happened. 

However, if you could somehow take a peak behind that incorporeal curtain, you’d get those “memories” before they ever happened. But these things that will happen, would they be like reading a book, or like remembering something that hasn’t even happened yet, due to the immaterial nature of the actual paper on which your fate is written?

But what happens if we consider destiny to be this solid, locked in place rock? No matter what, it happens. You see the future, and you know the future takes place, since destiny can’t mutate.

This is what causes people to become complacent. “Destiny’ll take care of it for me.”

If you end up in some trouble, “This was supposed to happen, for some reason whatsoever. I’ll get out of it, I have faith.” This naive faith will be a person’s demise. Believing that you will definitely end up in a good place is not a bad thing, but it needs to be coupled with action and your own choices.

If you don’t take action and just let destiny unfold on its own, you end up losing control over your life. Instead of being the main character in your own story, you’re a spectator. The challenges that come your way don’t serve as chances to grow; they become obstacles that hold you back.

The destination isn’t predetermined; it shifts and changes based on the path you choose to follow. Having faith that destiny will lead you somewhere good is a dominant driving force, but it must be paired with action and not passive acceptance. When you actively shape your path, believing that the future holds promise while taking steps to ensure it, this approach has the same transformative power as hope. In fact, faith in destiny and hope may be one and the same—both are driven by a vision of a better future, and both require your commitment to making that vision a reality.