Fate

The subject of fate came up the other day while I was talking to my husband, and I wanted to share some thoughts I have about it. My husband is a staunch believer in fate; that there are events and people that come into your life that are inevitable, regardless of your decisions. I guess I understand this logic to a certain extent, it's nice to think that there are things in your life that will happen or things that won't happen all because of fate. It's comforting to believe that a relationship failed or a person came into your life because of fate; comforting because when you don't have control over something it might make it easier to understand. Fate is this extraneous perpetual force that creates opportunities and brings people together regardless of situations or actions on behalf of the individuals. I can honestly say that I'd like to believe in fate, it would make things, well, simple.

I guess this is the part where I try to explain my unorthodox belief system about our little lives on this planet. Picture it like this; your life is a neutral, straight line when you are born. As you go through life and encounter people and experience events, this line changes direction depending on your decisions. There may be inevitabilities, but only for the particular path that you've chosen. If you decided to become an engineer, it may be an inevitability that you lose your passion and quit your job, but the same inevitability wouldn't apply if you had chosen to be an artist; see what I mean? Your life has an infinite amount of directions it can take, and every thought you have and choice you make changes that direction just a tiny little bit. You may happen upon an opportunity by chance, but if you don't choose to seize that opportunity nothing will come of it. You have the control; you always have the control.

There will be times in your life where you feel like a victim. When you feel as if you have been dealt the worlds worst hand; that life isn't fair and that you can't cope with what has happened. It's true, sometimes things happen to us that we have no control over, but we always have control over how we handle it. You can take the most negative of any situation and turn it into something incredibly positive. It is always darkest right before the dawn; in times of great despair is when we find our true strength and experience the most personal growth. When times are tough you can let it destroy you or you can use it to your advantage; you always have control. You will never know how truly powerful you are until that power is challenged at it's core. Don't live your life as a victim, own and accept the things that have happened to you as life lessons. It all happened for a reason and it made you what you are today. Face tomorrows challenges on your feet and with your arms open, not on your knees with your hands covering your face.

I believe that this world is our education. A university for the soul. We are here to learn, to inspire, to be inspired, and to grow. You have been given the gift of attending the most prestigious of schools, use your time here wisely and remember that no one and no event dictates your life's direction. You are a student and architect of your own destiny; carpe diem.

Meg