Are You Dancing in Harmony with Your Destiny?
Do you follow its footsteps or you resist, and struggle with it?
Think about it for a second and answer these questions: do you believe in destiny? Do you believe that you have the absolute power to change things in your life and around you? If so, to what extent? If you believe in destiny, would you rather dance with your destiny — be obedient and in harmony with it, follow its footsteps and have blind faith that its force will lead you to end up where you are supposed to be — or would you rather rebel against it, blame it, struggle with it, resist it, and turn your back on it?
I am standing in the middle of my story — my story that is a hand made quilt, small pieces sewn together. From where I am standing, I can see a larger horizon where I have a much better view of things, people, and incidents in their true colors, forms and shapes.
Here is what I think of “destiny,” this powerful force, which is pushing us forward and is behind all the skies, mountains, oceans, and everything above and beneath us.
Blue Print of Our Destiny
I truly believe that our souls have always existed long before this life, and they will continue to exist. The whole purpose of our being here and living temporarily in this human form and body, which has been lent to us, is that we would have the opportunely to use everything around us as a tool to elevate our souls to a higher level.
We are all connected and are one in this universe. I look at it as tapestry with different patterns and many, many stitches all woven together. Everything in the universe matters, for if not this bird, if not this little ant crawling, if not this rock, if not this piece of a cloud, if not me and if not you, then there would definitely be a hole in the woven foundation of this tapestry. Everything that exists in this universe matters and is supposed to be here. Everything is supposed to be exactly the way it is, for nothing exists on its own without its connection and its dependability on something else next to it. Whatever happens in our lives, which we call our destiny, is all entirely out of our power and out of our control. I look at our destiny as the patterns of this tapestry; we are subject to its design, whatever it is, bad or good.
I also believe we come into this world with our destiny as a blue print, drawn and rolled up, coming with us. Nevertheless, we are aware that we have choices in the matters we can change. If you imagine our fate to be like a building being built, step by step from the blue print that came into this world with us, then there are the matters and situations we can’t change. For example, we cannot change where the bedrooms of a building are or where the windows and the doors are located, and so on. We can’t have a say in where we were born, whom our parents are, whom we marry, and how many children we have. All this is part of the blue print which comes with us.
In spite of the force of destiny, there are a lot of matters and things we can change and affect in our lives. It is like being able to decorate our house after it’s built from the blue print, the way we like it and as we please. I also think everything in the universe is based on a balance of opposites, like day and night, darkness and light, bad and good. Knowing that, we can then understand that so much of our strengths could be the direct result of our weaknesses. Thus, I think we should love and embrace all of who we are. We should not repress the bad in ourselves, for we well know, by repressing the darkness, the shadow in ourselves can turn into an emotional tumor. If you don’t acknowledge your dark side — your shadow — and don’t bring it out, air it out, or let it ooze out; if we don’t let all the darkness, all the badness, and all the weaknesses out; if we don’t live with it, love it, hate it, shoot it down, hang it up; and if we don’t polish it, smoothen the hard edges, and accept it as less desirable but nevertheless part of who we are, then there is no other way that we would be able to deal with it.
We can’t possibly cut out the things we deem less desirable of ourselves and dispose of them in the garbage. It would be like cutting a toe off if it has a bad fungus on it. Cutting a toe off and then throwing it in the trash. That’s impossible. So we might as well heal it, and then live with it, and as a result, try to make our universe within a beautiful place in which to live.
The Train of Life
Sometimes, I think of life as a vast railway station. We occupants of planet Earth are standing in organized rows, each holding a ticket for a different destination, each a prisoner of his or her own destiny. Some of us have first class tickets, some ride coach, others only get to ride in the cargo cars. Some of us start in coach, and then switch to cargo. Some start in cargo, but have a transfer ticket and switch to first class midway through their journey. When you board the train, you sit in your assigned seat and settle into the journey. Sometimes, a new passenger boards the train and takes the seat next to you. It is inevitable that you and your fellow traveller will become familiar and intimate. Unfortunately, sometimes, just when you are getting attached to him, the train stops and he gets up hurriedly and says goodbye, for this is his station, and he doesn’t want to miss it. Sometimes, you look back sorrowfully at him, with teary eyes and an aching heart, watching his shadow disappear down the platform as the train pulls away. Then there are the rare times when a passenger sits down next to you, and you realize in amazement that you both have the same kind of ticket to the same destination. With joy and pleasure, you realize this person is the one with whom you will share your entire journey with, as long as it takes. Other times, sharing just part of your journey with a fellow passenger is enough, and you simply appreciate the moments you spent together. And when it is time for you to part, you peacefully continue on your way, looking straight ahead as the scenery comes towards you.
The Universe’s Big Picture
I once met this young mother who had sadly just lost her newborn baby. I was really in sympathy for her loss, and I was self-conscious to approach her broken heart in the most tender and gentle manner I could. I was surprised when I found out how emotionally anchored, strong, and stable she was. She smiled at me, a very somber smile, and told me that she is ok with what happened to her baby. She has complete acceptance, and she believes it would definitely all make more sense in the universe’s big picture.
She believed in destiny!
Now I ask you, “Do you think we came into this world with our destiny already planned for us? Are we sitting in the driver’s seat or are we just sitting in the back seat, enjoying the view and going for the ride?”
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