Destiny

I’ve been wondering recently what my destiny is?  

I spent a long time believing you make your own destiny and only you can make things happen; but can we really ignore the power of the universe, gods plans and good old fashioned coincidence, if there is such a thing.  If destiny was real could we avoid it and could we change it?

I do find myself saying ‘it wasn’t meant to be’, generally when I don’t get what I want.  Whether that is being with someone or wanting a certain job, that isn’t up to us, it’s a dependant variable.  

Every now and again I’ll realise there is so much to this world.  Right now as I sail down the M6 on my way to work there are many others doing the exact same thing.  More importantly at this very second, there is someone overdosing on heroin, being shot, being released from prison, being abused, losing a son, taking their own life.  There is a baby being born, a soldier fighting for his country, a doctor saving someone’s life.  People all across the world are living out their destiny.   

Even though we do not always agree with what happens to us, is there a bigger picture?  Are people put in our lives for a reason and a time limit or do we determine their departure?

Unless one event happens, then the sequence of events that follows this would not happen and is the next sequence of events our actual destiny?

I remember lying in bed crying and asking god why on earth he was doing this to me? I realised that no one was doing this to me but ME.  I was choosing to live that life, I could leave if I wanted to; in the end I did.

Sometimes things are out of our control, like when someone leaves you and you don’t want them to, or no matter how hard you try or how good you are, you still don’t get what you want. 

At the time we can’t see why this happens but is it just another road we have to go down to get to the next bit of our destiny?

What kind of people would we be if we were never thrown shit to catch now and again, hills to climb, obstacles to move; we need this stuff to make us tougher.  Can you imagine a life where everything you wanted just happened; you were never disappointed and you never had to try; you’d never feel any kind of negative emotion because your life was truly perfect.  If we didn’t experience the negative could we recognise the positive?    

I started to think further when I saw the new Kiefer Sutherland series Touch.  This is built on an idea that the universe and everyone in it is controlled by destiny.  There is an invisible string that joins each and all of us to the people we are supposed to meet along the way. 

There have been a number of occasions in my life when I have felt destiny has brought me to people but then I am the one here living this life making decisions. 

It’s a scary concept to me that I do control my own destiny because what if I make a mistake? What if I choose the wrong path and not the one I am supposed to choose, does this change my whole destiny?

If there are only two roads and you choose the wrong one, you can’t go back because the road doesn’t stay open forever, does it? 

Perhaps if in the past I’d chosen a different road I’d not be sat typing this now.

I don’t think anyone will ever really understand life and the reason why things happen.  When good people get sick, when children die before their parents, healthy men and women taken before their time without so much as a warning or time to say goodbye.  I cannot explain this and I doubt anyone can, I just call it ‘life’.  

If you believe in the scientific as opposed to the spiritual you can follow the idea that death is death and it happens through biological reason and disease.  If you believe in god you ask yourself why he would do this? One of my theories is not all destiny is good destiny.  Maybe the people that die are taken away before they unknowingly affect something of importance that would occur in their future; that inadvertently affects others.  If we have a path set out at birth, say someone out there already knows our exact time of death and reason and no matter what happens nothing will change that.  

The people that die could have been picked at random, even at birth, they may die just because not everyone can live.  Again if we never suffered loss would we appreciate life?          

I do not harbour any regrets, I don’t believe in it.  We can’t change our choices and whatever they were made us who we are today; whether that makes me more of a person or less of a person, I don’t know.

Are we able to make our own destiny? Can we follow our dreams and make life what we want?

I think maybe if we keep our dreams to an achievable level this could be ok.  Wanting to be someone we’re not, or hoping for millions of pounds or children we unfortunately can’t have – you see where I’m going; may not be attainable goals.  But, if were just looking for that perfect love or just pure happiness and a healthy enjoyable lifestyle, then I can believe in that destiny; or can I?

Life isn’t one happy road, its lots of roads and journeys with unlimited happiness and sadness some of which is out of our control.  I guess as the saying goes we just have to roll with it; cause that is what us humans do, we adapt, we adjust, we mould, we only want simple things like food, sleep, nurture, someone to love us.  It doesn’t sound that complicated when you put it like that. 

When I was younger I had this notion that when we die we would discover all the answers of the universe.  We’d know what happened to us and our loved ones when we died, we’d know about god, we’d know about ghosts, we’d know about all the mysteries of the whole world.  We might even see Elvis :)  

But then the thing is you would never get to tell anyone, because you’re dead.  But you would finally rest in peace knowing what is really out there.

It’s a nice thought isn’t it, although I’m a bit more cynical now.  Chances are when we’re gone we’re gone; not sure there is any proof of this on the contrary but it’s my little dream of death. 

What I’d like to think is, my destiny is to write so I can give up working my office job but then again I guess that is up to me to do the work.  I’d also kinda like to be turned into a vampire by Edward from Twilight but then that is just silly; but another option for giving up work ;) 

If destiny existed though, it wouldn’t matter what decisions we made would it because we’d have to live out that destiny whatever... as though destiny actually got in our heads and made our choices for us?? What do you think?      

                       

The first and last pics were taken from the National Geographic website check it out http://m.theatlantic.com/infocus/2012/09/national-geographic-photo-contest-2012/100373/