“We are but
the instrument of Heaven;
Our work is
not by Design, but Destiny”.
This quotation by the
great 19th century English poet and playwright Lord Edward Lytton, very neatly described a commonly held concept
that a person’s destiny is subject to some kind of external “force” beyond
their control, and that he was expected to accept and live by the consequences of
its influence. Many people, more particularly in the Eastern traditions, still believe
and accept this to be their lot and fate in life; ‘Their Naseeb.’ The more religious on the other hand, are content to
attribute these experiences to supernatural sources and accept the results as
the ‘Will of God.’ In both situations
however, the recipients were quite content to live out their lives believing
that the effect was somehow predetermined and that they could do nothing but
accept the consequences. They believed that irrespective of the options they exercised, the ultimate course of action taken by the individuals will always carry
them to their true destiny.
But in
the last two centuries, and more so in the Western cultures, with the
increasing advances in science, understanding and logic, there has been a
gradual shift away from this previously accepted view of destiny. While
it is still used to refer to a sequence of events related to the future that may
often appear to have been outwardly unalterably predetermined, it is now
recognized that these are subject to change, and are in fact, directly dependent
on the choices made by the individual. Currently, most people are
comfortable with the argument that individuals can, and often do choose their own
destiny by selecting different "pathways." William Jennings Bryan, the celebrated American politician and
presidential candidate, described this situation most succinctly in this
manner:
“Destiny is not a matter of chance; it
is a matter of choice.
It is not a thing to be waited for; it
is a thing to be achieved.”
Unquestionably, the most
important asset in finding and fulfilling one’s destiny is a thorough knowledge
of one’s needs and aspirations. No one is ever able to determine his own destiny
by copying the destiny of others, and certainly no one will ever succeed in doing
so by following the lifestyles of others. Destiny
is always personal and more closely related
to one’s dreams, passions and purpose in life. These are the keys that must
be used by the individual to align him correctly in order to fulfill his true
destiny.
But like so many other important personal
characteristics of mankind, the answer will only be found by looking inward,
and can never be found by spending time
looking in any other direction; as so many people prefer to do. William Shakespeare, in his masterpiece,
Julius Caesar, very clearly endorsed
this fact when he declared, to any one who will listen:
“It is
not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves.”
In this respect, destiny should never ever be viewed
as a single incident in life that takes place by chance, without any reason or
precedent. It is indeed, an integral component of life’s journey that
determines both direction and satisfaction. As one travels along the road of
life, his destiny will change in order to accommodate the varying needs and the
passions at the time, but it is always up to each person to choose the next
direction. For what really matters are not the opportunities themselves, but what
he does with them. That choice alone,
will truly determine the final outcome of his destiny.
As Nathaniel
Hawthorne, one of America’s
greatest 19th century authors, so wisely observed:
“Every individual has
a place to fill in the world and is important in some respect; whether he
chooses to be
so or not.”
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