What if our destiny is not preordained? What if destiny is a series of messages telling us to set our life course on nothing earth bound, to point ourselves in the direction of the stars? When we live by this version of destiny we experience life challenges as non-physical markers meant to guide us. We see the world as miraculous rather than threatening, serendipitous rather than capricious. This perspective precludes steering our ship from our fears, allowing us to and create our future from our dreams. Rather than resisting what life brings us, we choose to approach life with a sense of astonishment and wonder.
Our destiny is to a great extent based on our choices, not the will of unseen forces, payback for past life missteps, or even a series of lessons we need to heal and grow. Yes, our genetic coding has a major influence on our health. Yes, the place and social-economic status of our birth has a major impact on the issues we face. Yes, we often face a choice between awful and horrible. And no, life is not fair or equitable or even inclusive. And yet, the story of our life is not pre-determined. We can waste our gifts or thrive in spite of the odds. We can set our sights on those seductive stars or fear every small stone that might trip us.
Will this perspective guarantee that we will be rich and famous and healthy and fabulously successful? No. However, wealth and fame do not guarantee happiness. Nor, unfortunately does good health or success. Happiness is something we choose to embrace on our life journey. We can start by releasing our addiction to being right in all things, to comparing our bodies and homes and clothes and religion and life choices to everyone around us. We can walk away from blaming the universe for not fulfilling our desires, and for believing that we will be happy when we are healed and whole and spiritual enough.
It is our destiny to sail into open unmapped waters, to set the sails in response to capricious winds and changing tides, to accept that the future is unknowable and always in motion. Yes, this is frightening. And yet, it is the only way that life, and our destiny, unfolds.
This is right on the mark. One’s personal responsibility to make choices in life, with whatever the hand is you’ve been given, is essential. And if waiting for it to reveal itself rather than moving, at times, even stumbling forward, is one of the ultimate choices. I have developed a whole series of artwork dedicated to the choice of trying to live life as you want, rather than passively waiting.
An excerpt of a John Keat’s quote from, “Ode to the Nightingale” is THE driving inspiration of this
decades-long series, about the choice of not wasting this opportunity for life at this time.
“Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget what thou among the trees hast never known”.
Ms. Robyn’s thoughts in this most recent writing asserts an interesting take on that sense of making ones own destiny, and I love the fact she puts forth that even with mistakes one centers in on who he or she now IS, not just WAS.
Charles Parson, Artist