Disclaimer: The following has been divorced of any and all Sovereign theology, to which I hold firmly. I do not necessarily hold to any of the views stated below, even if the view begins with “I believe…” or “To me…” This is simply a discussion.
I’ve got a brainstorm going. In order to keep it going, it needs to be written out. Some people hold to the view that life is the sum of random events stitched together in a space/time continuum. Others belief that life is the sum of all the decisions you make, just like those books you read as a child (for a run up the middle, turn to page 110; for a pass, turn to page 94). Some hold to the belief that life is simply a test, each moment a question in the grand-scheme examination. Finally, certain people hold to the view that life is a game, and the endgame of this contest is the collection of either many things leading to great wealth or many stories leading to a great reputation.
I don’t believe that “life” is any of the aforementioned things. To me, life is the sum of interwoven events precipitated by Providence and Fate. (Now, I’m not trying to sermonize or church-alize this, trust me. So, I plead with you to bear with me.) Everything that happens is because it is supposed to. Allow me to try and explain:
Have you ever driven home from work, pulled into your driveway, and for the life of you could not remember anything post-parking lot/pre-driveway? You attribute it to mundane ritualism, but what if it is more than that? I mean, unless you are suffering from short-term memory loss, you have obviously failed to pay attention to the drive home. How did you safely arrive at your destination? Did you make it home because your mind is so used to driving that route that it took over all motor function while leaving your memory in the dust? I don’t think so. You made home because you were supposed to be there.
Another example: Have you ever been in a relationship that ended and the only thing that came out of that relationship was a broken-heart (and a philosophical post on broken-hearts) and a bunch of new friends? Do you honestly think it was by chance that you met this random person and came out of that elongated rendezvous with more supporting players in your life?
Life has to be made up of the “there’s a reason I’m…’s.” The failure to capitalize on the Providential happenings in life is the failure to live it to it’s full potential. Manifest Your Potential.com puts it this way:
Find the thread of your life and follow it.
Now, I’m not saying to go about life letting things happen to you and attributing (or, blaming) it on Providence/Fate. I’m simply saying what Voltaire once said:
Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her. But once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game.
You got to your house safely with no help from you. What are you going to do about it? Are you going to go in as if nothing different happened (even if the loss of memory happens often), whining about work, traffic (which you didn’t even notice or remember), and demanding dinner and the remote control? Or, are you going to take stock of what is inside that house of yours, value it, and proceed to display that value to those very people?
Every man has his own destiny: the only imperative is to follow it, to accept it, no matter where it leads him. -Henry Miller, on fate.
