I trust in destiny. I really do. So much so that I had it tattooed on my back while I was in Singapore. (Note: it's not on my lower back...and I don't have a dolphin, butterfly or any other tramp stamp on my body while we're fluttering around the subject..just a few discreetly places hearts drawn by my loved ones, wings and more writing.) For the most part, my trust in destiny is more in a practical way, if the word practical can even be applied to the idea of destiny, rather than a drivel-laden fairy-tale-esque notion. (Also note, I said for the most part...any of you who know me or have read my blogs know my hopeless romanticism tends to resurface from time-to-inconvenient-time.)
Practically speaking, it's a faith in knowing that everything happens for a reason. Every experience, whether blissfully surreal or horribly destructive while going through it is something I know I will realize the value in sooner or later. It's proved true for every significant moment of personal growth in my life and I'm guessing the future will be similarly enlightening. Life is a continual learning experience for me, one where learning about myself is a perpetual study. Of course this applies to the larger concerns I tend to during my life -- I don't believe destiny applies when it comes to say, choosing what flavor ice cream I'm going to eat or other trivial decisions. (For the record, Oreo chunk is usually the winner. Anything with ground up chocolate bars really..but let's focus here.) I have been baffled by how a string of tiny incidents have led to bigger things though, and more than once these occurrences have been far too intricate to simply be coincidence to me. You all know the kind of days I'm referring to: you're late for this, miss that, but end up bumping into this person on the bus instead who connects you with this person who offers you that and you end up miles ahead of where you would had you gotten to whatever your first destination was on time. Those kinds of days.
While my confidence that everything is part of a grand journey exists, I should also point out that destiny is not for the passive. The topic has come up in casual conversation many times and I've gotten the impression more than once that many suckers for destiny, as I call them in my head, aren't really doing much in their lives and simply waiting for a greater something-or-the-other to offer up the next big thing to them. I guess what makes more sense to me is an active trust in destiny where I continually seek out opportunities and remain open-minded to the ones that present themselves to me. A symbiotic relationship of the most non-tangible kind, where pro-activity on my part leads to pro-activity on the universe's part -- in my favour. (Say what you will about The Secret phenomenon, but there's no way a little positive thinking will be detrimental to anyone's life, let alone a whole lot of it. Ignore the stupid examples in the book like the woman who wants a new frying pan and "finds" one in her neighbours' dumpster...the focus is the big picture. Also, if all you want is a new frying pan -- yeah there are stores for that.)
Active destiny in mind, for me, at least has been a successful life mantra thus far. It has, however, come into direct conflict with that over-active massive heart of mine on more than one occasion. Personally I think when it comes to matters of love I am so wrapped up and place so much value on it that it can be scary to simply leave it up to destiny. I'm in the midst of such a situation now, well, sort of....okay, it's complicated to put it mildly, but going through it knowing there's growth and maturity to be found definitely helps. While in Singapore I read Amy Tan's memoir and came across a beautiful quote that I also considered getting permanently drawn on me (it being too long and me being at four tattoos resulted in a no.) but I remembered it nonetheless. So bloggees, no matter what your views on how this crazy little world of ours works and how each of us makes our way through life, take into consideration Tan's wise words: "Is it fate? Is it a miracle? Was it by choice? Is it only my imagination? Yes, yes, yes, yes. It is all those things. All things are possible."
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