“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 “power” beyond
their control, and that we were expected to accept and live by the consequences
of this influence. Even today, 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 all these situations the
recipients were quite content to live out their lives in the firm belief that the
course of their lives were 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 them will always lead them to
a predetermined destiny.
But in
the last two centuries, especially 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. Currently,
while the term 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 events are subject to change, and are in fact,
directly dependent on the choices made by the individual. Most people are now
comfortable with the argument that individuals can and often do choose their own
destiny by selecting their own 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 has ever succeeded in doing
so by following the lifestyles of others. Destiny is always personal and more closely
related to the individual’s dreams, passions and purpose in life. These alone, are the keys that must be used
by the individual to align himself correctly in the direction that assures fulfillment
of his true destiny.
But like so many other important personal
characteristics of mankind, the answer will only be found by looking inward,
and will 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 and occurs without any
reason or precedent. In fact, destiny indeed is an integral component of life’s
journey and plays a significant role in determining both direction and
satisfaction. As one travels along the road of life, one’s destiny will change in
order to accommodate the varying needs and the passions of that time, but it will
always be up to each person to choose the next direction.
In the end, what really matters for all of us is not the finding of the opportunities themselves, but rather what we chose to do with
them after they are found. That choice alone, will truly
determine the final outcome of our 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.”
-Your
destiny my friend is in your hands, and never in the stars!
< >
No comments:
Post a Comment