March 14, 2011

Destiny.

~ Everything is determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no control. It is determined for the insect, as well as for the star. Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper. ~
Albert Einstein

As a true fatalist, I have always believed in destiny.
In the fact that everything in our lives is to a certain degree predetermined and decided. Perhaps as early as on the day we see the light as newborn, the red thread directing our life’s main destinations has already been spun – if not even before…

Yet contradictory, I have also always been a firm believer in the idea that we all choose the path in which we sail the oceans of our reality, despite the fact that we will arrive at a predestined goal.
We simply are the ones who decide the journey.
As the journey itself can wary in so many ways, it eventually arbitrates the quality and the content of our lives.

The older I get, the more this belief structure rings true in my ears, as my own past experiences reinforce this so clearly.

We have an expression in my native language, which can be translated to the likes of “Forcing One’s Destiny”.
It has a negative ring to it and is used to illustrate the task of pursuing a hopeless goal. An endeavor that is not meant to be, as all the attempts are failing and all the signs are telling us that our efforts are futile.
In those instances it is difficult to know, when - or even if - one should give in and give up.

In certain areas of my life, I have often found myself doing just that, forcing my destiny. Simply pursuing something that was not meant to be. I have been lost on more detours and wrong turns than I care to account for. As a true fatalist, ultimately I always made my peace with the outcome and was thus never left with any regrets.
Then again, there has also been things that came easy to me. The flow of events proceeded effortlessly, each step a success, without too much struggle or obstacles to overcome. Sadly, those endeavors I paid very little attention to - as a human I am flawed and have a tendency to focus on what went wrong, rather then on what went right.

Today as I look back and recollect the travels through my life, I find it amusing to conclude that I could never ever escape my destiny. Everything that I went through, all the failures, sadness, heartache as well as the happiness and the success were leading me to today. All the memorable encounters and all those wonderful mistakes that made me into who I am, these as well shaped the path I traveled. Perhaps if I would have relaxed and gone with the flow, I might have experienced a plethora of adventures of a quiet different kind then those I carry in my recollection - still, I believe I would have found myself exactly here, at this very same spot as I do now.
This realization opens up a brand new avenue in my thinking, making me aware of how little control over my life I actually hold in my hands.

As middle age is knocking on my door and I once again find myself facing a change in my life,  I nevertheless feel oddly at peace as I know that my destiny will guide me through. Having followed my heart and finding myself recurrently in a raging storm, I have decided this time to no longer pursue what is not meant to be, but to follow the signs and look for shelter.

As the restlessness of youth and the energy to go against the wind settles down a bit within my inner core, I am ready to completely surrender to my fate.
However this time I am fully determined to pay more attention to the doors that are open then frantically trying to open those that are locked, as I would love to sail more tranquil oceans on the journey that I have left in front of me.
Yet, in an odd and almost ominous way I sense somewhere deep within, that despite all of this, I am about to embark on the adventure of my life.

~ I seldom end up where I wanted to go, but almost always end up where I need to be. ~
Douglas Adams

~ We are not here on earth to change our destiny, but to fulfill it. ~
    Guy Finley

48 comments:

Phivos Nicolaides said...

Destiny and life... It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end...

Elizabeth said...

Now that is a deep and profound way to start a new week. Thanks for this beautiful post sweet lady.

Ms.Chief loves wigwams! said...

Surrender Dear Zuzana, Surrender!! . .. the thing with the scientist within us all is we like to understand, enjoy reasons & sense. We have intelligence & logic .. destiny just doesn't :). As for the journey - we are the journey :).
Absolutely beautiful expression Zuzana. .. simply beautiful.
May the peacefulness penetrate each & every cell as newness explodes, bringing again discovery.. let the adventures unfold . .. wishing you many safe & wondrous journeys :)

Christmas-etc... said...

What a lovely giving post. You are so brave to speak so freely. So I will do so too! Here goes - According to the ancient Church God knows exactly what choices we will make in life but they are our choices, not His. He wants us all to chose in the correct way (which is toward His loving arms) - we are given everything we need to do so (in this day and age of literacy, health, travel and much spare time even more so than earlier centuries)- but don't always do so. And in fact we walk away from Him blaming circumstances and natural disasters and people who supposedly represent Him (but don't really) as our reason for doing so. God knows what we will chose - He is God after all - but our destiny is in our hands - because He really does love us and in that great love will never take away from us that wonderful gift of human volition.
How's that for a Monday morning!:)
Have a lovely day, dear Zuzana.
Ann

Mahmud Yussop said...

Dear Zuzana,
I congratulate you on such a wonderful insight. I have been facing many life's predicament and as such I can associate with the spirit of your post. I find that what matters in the end of our life's journey is values e.g. finding what is success more than money,happiness more than marriage,safety more than health,sacrifice more than personal comfort,etc etc. We are constantly tested by these value choices by The Intelligence that loves us. Our life's journey is like the destiny of the lover and the loved. The mystery is always kept by the one who loved us in order to test us of the strength of our love. I think every affirmation we make of our life and life's choices, life disrobes its mystery making our fate and destiny clearer for us and all to see. Thus it's very much a spiritual journey. Once we are consumed of her love we'll be rewarded with life's bliss. Thus I would change the adage ' I think, therefore I am" to "I believe, therefore I am". May your life's adventures be full of bliss.

Kath said...

Enjoy every minute of your adventure, lovely Zuzana! xx

Laura said...

Zuzana, I feel very much the same as you as far as being born to a particular fate and yet also having free will. Free will does not mean we have control over where we are going, but rather we have choice as to how we will respond to each unique (or repeated) situation we find ourselves in. When realize we don't always have to respond in the same way to a similar situation as we may have in the past, we alter the experience enough to discover those open doors, those spaces of peace that beckon our presence. May we continue to grow in wisdom as we deepen our roots in humanity.

gentle steps my friend

Unknown said...

Exactly the way I feel about life Zuzana and it's also been proven to me time and again when I've chosen the wrong path or endeavor as it has never failed to fail. So much easier when we recognize and follow our true destiny... sigh.
Great post my dear!

Reading Tea Leaves said...

You write so candidly and with such a beautiful turn of phrase Zuzana. I hope the changes in your life prove wonderful and that you are on the cusp of an adventure to surpass what you have experienced thus far.

Thank you for allowing us to share your innermost feelings my dear friend.

Jeanne
xox

Ash said...

Beautiful well-written post, Zuzana. I so loved reading it.

Claus said...

Wow! such profound post!
You know, I've always say "live life with no regrets". I am not known as a daredevil, and I as you know, I like a simple life, which a lot of people seem to view it as a life without goals and ambition. But it is my life, and I like it and embrace it, and believe 100% that its turns and twists - which have happened, despite its easy flow - have turned me into the person I am today, more so in the philosophy line of it. I usually take it as it comes, a philosophy not known to me until a few years back, and then, when I have gone through that life period, I realized "it was meant to be", and appreciate the experience and knowledge gotten from it. Destiny, I suppose :o)
have a lovely day my friend!

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

Very thought provoking --

I agree with what Claus said. I do much prefer a simple, quiet life. I try to tune out all the negativity in the world and have never desired more than what I have in the here and now. Like my husband, I do believe that it is written in "our book of life" when our final day will be; but I do believe that between our birth and our passing, God gives us choices and it is up to us to make the right ones. So many people get lost along the way and find life to be a struggle. Surrendering to life events is important in order to weather all trials and tribulations that come our way.

Have a bright and beautiful day. Tammy

Myrna R. said...

I can relate to what you are so beautifully saying. I hope this middle stage brings great adventures and that you follow the best path.

I am still learning more about the balance between free will and destiny in my life.

Bossy Betty said...

I totally understand your post here and I am guilty of forcing my own destiny too. Since you have lived in the US, Sweden and Denmark and have parents of different cultural backgrounds, do you see a difference in the way each of those places/cultures influences us to think about destiny and our future? (Could this be a future blog post? Oh! I think so! It is your destiny to write it! OK, OK, maybe not, but I would like to hear your views on the subject!)

S. Susan Deborah said...

Zuzana:

I think once before this, you have written a similar post on fate and destiny.
What you have expressed here is quite poignant. While it seems that everything is pre-destined, there is also the path which we seem to choose. Maybe the choice which we make is also pre-destined.
I believe in god's will in a person's life. Being a Christian, I think that everything works according to his plan. Maybe that is what non-believers call 'destiny.' I don't know.

But this post made me think on different levels and also seems to tell me that everything happens for/with a purpose and that nothing is accidental, even though it may seem so.

Hope the week started off on a lovely note, dear Zuzana.

Joy always,
Susan

Brian Miller said...

great post...sorry i am late...logn weekend...smiles. i believe nothing is random. our choices and those we decide to share our life with will in many ways determine where we will get. i think many times we suffer from a lack of intentionality and just go with the flow thus we end up often where we aim...in the converse we can try forcing something that will never happen...this is where wisdom i hope steps in for me...but i never want to lose the willingness to try...

Hilary said...

Wonderful post, my friend. I love when you share your introspective thinking.. especially when there's much to be learned from it.

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

Destiny... Interesting view... But this time, one which I don't share. :-)

But what's more important, are the tantalizing glimpses you give, into your life. :-) They make me want to write the script, from what I feel. :-)

Unknown said...

Well ,a pessimist thinks life random:A optimist thinks it purposeful.I am (usually!) an Optimist.
Every action has an outcome & purpose, Yes, Zuzana!Its kinda strange to look back and imagine all the different routes we could have taken...And I Like Your Belief is that the Outcome would have remained the same whatever paths we chose.Have A Lovely Week X

tony said...

Ha! I signed in on Chris's Account!
("kidpuja")!!

Anonymous said...

Such a lovely, profound post! I love the quotes - very apt. I firmly believe that we live the life we choose - that we CAN choose the way we make our journey to our goals... The goal, as you say, may be pre-destined but not the paths we take to get there.

A Lady's Life said...

Well I also believe in what you said and I believe we choose our lives before we are born. I also believe we have a job to do here .I had a dream where these tall thin gray men in robes with beards were standing over my body debating on whether I should live or die. One said she is not doing what she was sent here to do. Then another was arguing on my behalf and I began to see them and they saw I was waking up and disappeared.
Now that scared me and since then I have been more vocal with my opinions in the newspapers. I feel all the wrong people talk and change life while the people who need to talk stay quiet. I was one of those people depending on the system to do the right thing and the system instead has been stolen by those who destroyed it from the inside.
We all have a job to do on this planet and we are not doing it.
:)

Mimi said...

My mother's saying was "what's for you won't pass you by". I too believe in destiny, and have experienced those same times when doors open, and times when I rail against fate.
I believe we are here to learn lessons, and everything we do, everyone we meet, is part of the rich tapestry with which we will leave this planet.
I just hope that the pattern in my tapestry will be one of good, of a life well-lived, with lots of fun thrown in!

Lynne said...

What a thought provoking post, and comments too.
Whatever you do, be happy.

Unknown said...

Sending you only wishes for Happiness, Zuzana! :)

Blogaire said...

I can empathize so much with your post Zuzana because I seem to find myself in a similar place at the moment. I have spent the last few weeks reflecting on my life - I seem to have reached a crossroads and I am wondering where destiny will lead me next.
Zuzana, as you embark on that adventure I hope it's a rollercoaster journey full of fun and happy moments. Enjoy every minute!

SandyCarlson said...

This line speaks to my heart most especially:

I am fully determined to pay more attention to the doors that are open then frantically trying to open those that are locked, as I would love to sail more tranquil oceans on the journey that I have left in front of me.

Thank you!

adrielleroyale said...

Well said and well done in finding that happy medium between the choices that shape our destiny and the ultimate lack of control we have over it. Each of us must find that happy medium and I am still attempting to find it for myself :)

Anonymous said...

Interesting thought Zuzana.
I kind of agree, though i do believe we have the power to forge our own paths in life.

Rajesh said...

I agree with you everything is predetermined. But we humans try to control or alter things as in the case of time of childbirth.

steviewren said...

My friend, you are both scientist and philosopher....metaphysical musings abound from your questioning mind.

I believe in pre-destination, as in God has predetermined my days. I believe He is the invisible piper of Einstein's thoughts. I believe He is a loving God who allows me to live in a world of free-will while He exists in total control...both worlds seems to contradict...but He is God, so all is possible.

Anonymous said...

You are such an inpiration. A deep thinker who others can relate with. I do believe the Almighty does direct us to lessons to be learned that will only make us realize we must give Him His rightful place in our lives.

Titane333 said...

you're right Zuzana, nothing happens by chance and our meeting will have their reasons! Anyway I like coming to your blog and read your texts, just that I do not always understand everything! But I retain still the main message you send! Beautiful day Zuzana
xoxo

Anonymous said...

So very thooght provoking, Zuzana. I think everything that happens is getting us to where we are meant to be. This path is so winding an difficult to see from our perspective. And each experience is teachinng us something we need to know, to carry on, to use in the future.
May your current experiences guide you gently down your path.

Anonymous said...

You speak 5 languages?... wow.. that is great!! :)

Out on the prairie said...

So my take it as it comes attitude has perhaps given me a few extra years, rather than worrying how it could have happened.

Nessa said...

I think God knows the ultimate ending of all things, being the All-Knowing Being that he is but I definitely believe in our Free Will.

Since I think the ultimate goal is to join my spirit back to God's and thus be complete again, I think it works. There are so many possible paths to get there. And we can, if we are silly, choose not to reconnect.

Colleen said...

Dear Zuzana, your destiny will take you far I think. You have such a willing and peaceful heart that I think your serenity will spill over and fill your whole life with beauty no matter where the journey takes you.

Beautiful post!

A Plain Observer said...

I found myself agreeing and disagreeing with you through the whole post. I love posts like that, they make me think.
I want to believe that I am in control of my life, and that my choices make a difference. But...there have been so many times when I have not understood the outcome in spite of my choices.
I dont know what the answer is, one thing I do know, like you I am at that point in my life when I am embracing more tranquil times.

Maria said...

I agree with much of what you say, Zuzana. I think in many ways though, we decide our own destiny, although it probably sounds like a complete contradiction!

Kat_RN said...

As usual, your post made me think. I think about the idea that praying for strength may bring about hard times, as we do not get stronger without them. It also makes me think that some of my proudest moments started out as difficult situations.
My past makes me who I am, and I like the who your past has made too.
Kat

Matty said...

This is an interesting and thought provoking topic. I can see two sides to this. That everything is pre-planned and whatever happens was going to happen. We had no control over it. Destiny, if you will. The other is that what happens in our lives is based on us. The choices and decisions that we make control our destiny, and that in the end it wasn't necessarily going to happen any particular way.

So where do I stand on this? I think that along the way we make our own choices, which lead us down certain paths, but that in the end, what was going to be, was going to be. In a sense, if it happened, then it was going to happen. As you say, predetermined, or destiny.

To muddy the waters, as an example, if I'm driving my car and make a spontaneous last second decision, for no apparent reason, to turn left and go down a road, and die in an accident, it was my destiny. It was predetermined. What if I hadn't made that turn? Either way, if it happened, then it was going to happen.

Unknown said...

Congrats on POTW!

Unknown said...

Yes, yes! Zuzana... This is wonderful... I too am sitting high on the mountain of mid life.. .looking out over the horizon at what may come and feeling at peace. The wrestlessness of earlier years has quieted in my soul and I can see how each and every experience has led me to this moment.
A new door has opened for me too.
Come visit me on the Shorelines!

http://bfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org/

Beautiful post! The best is yet to come!
Deb

Amanda Summer said...

i am visiting via phivos' blog -- i really enjoyed reading this post. as a fellow cancerian who is also entering a life change, i could relate with many things you say, especially regarding shifting one's focus and trying to listen to what the universe has in store for us vs. forcing ourselves on the universe.

i appreciate having these thoughts to consider today.
thanks~

Zuzana said...

Philip, Elizabeth, P, Ann, Mahmood, Kath, Laura, Jane, Jeanne, Ash, Claudia, T, Myrna, Betty, Susan, Brian, Hilary, Amelia, kidpuja, tony, ladyfi, Lady, Mimi, Lynne, Michael, Blogaire, Sandy, adrielle, Richard, Rajesh, Stevie, Thomas, Christiane, LadyCat, Out on the praire (welcome), Nessa, Colleen, Myriam, Maria, Kat, Matty (welcome), Deborah and Amanda - what a set of wonderful responses from all of you.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of these poignant and well expressed opinions and sentiments, regarding the subject of our destiny.

Your comments and the way you present your own thoughts is in my eyes always the best feedback to my writing, as I at all times look forward to be enlightened and educated. To listen to what others have to say is what partly shapes my own beliefs, in combination with my own experiences.

Thank you all for your wonderful visits and genuine and substantial words.
They are priceless.

Xoxo,
Zuzana

365 Attempts (At Life) said...

I really needed to read this post today. What a beautiful outlook. Sometimes it doesn't make sense, but maybe it's OK to have the wind at my back for a change.
Enjoyed this.
Tanya

Zuzana said...

365 - thank you so much for stopping by, glad you could find some inspiration in my writing.;)
xoxo