You are the creator of your own Destiny…- Swami Vivekananda
Before we dive deep into the controversial topic, first let us have a clear concept of what is Destiny & Fate. Because the two words get easily intertwined as both of them deal with future. We often use them interchangeably in our conversation but there is a sound difference between them. Fate is something that is beyond our control. For example- you set out for an interview & on the way, the bus had a puncture & you missed the interview. This was beyond your control & hence we say –‘it was your fate’. On the other hand, Destiny is about the choices we make. We often have many alternatives to a particular thing, so the alternative we choose is the destiny we choose.
Fata is unalterable as it comprises events that are beyond our circle of influence. But destiny is not pre-determined, we can give it the shape we want. A lot of dreams and aspirations shatter every day just because of this misconception about destiny, hence this minute difference must not be forgotten at any point of time.
In our society, a popular way of demoralizing someone is by saying, “you can’t change your destiny…” And successfully we killed another dream. Because anybody will now feel that he is going against the law of nature & is useless to pursue it anymore. And this phenomenon was also prominent during British Raj. Whenever any Indian tried to compete with the British in any field, they were being suppressed by saying that Indians were destined to be inferior to them. But our patriots, leaders, and politicians showed that Destiny can be changed. Not only did they break the orthodox thinking, they even suppressed them and achieved victory.
Just imagine if Netaji, Gandhiji, and Tilak, had accepted the fact that India’s destiny was to be ruled by the British & that is the only future of Indians. Could we have celebrated our Independence Day? What if Rani Lakshmi Bai thought that she was a woman & her destiny was to look after household affairs? Everyone had their alternatives or choices. But they chose the destiny of fighting the British & lay down their life for the motherland. Else they could’ve decided to remain a mere passive onlooker & accept the destiny of being slaves. So, we can see that it depends on which destiny we choose.
From our very childhood, we get to choose our destiny but we are not even aware of it. After the board exam, a student gets to choose among different streams of studies. Again one get s to choose between Higher Studies or Marriage or a Job. So at every point of life, we get to decide what our future will be. This power lies in our hands and is not fixed by any supernatural forces.
We have seen many parents compelling their children to pursue engineering or medicine just because this has been their legacy. Eventually, the child accepts that engineering is the only destiny made for him. This is the point where a child starts believing that destiny is pre-determined and so is the future. On the other hand, a farmer’s son who is being deliberately injected that his sole destiny is to be a farmer proves everyone wrong by cracking the civil services exam.
So we see that. Diligence, disciple, and broad thinking are what shape the future but not destiny. Hard work and consistency of effort is the real need for an hour. If one sets his vision high & dedicates himself to achieving the same, then no words like “destiny” can affect or alter the future one wants for himself.
MS Dhoni, former captain of the Indian Cricket Team, was a ticket collector. But he was confident in his skill and abilities. He built his career in cricket, even though his destiny could have been Ticket collector. Robert Downey Jr. was a drug addict and even served imprisonment. But he transformed himself and his destiny & soon became the beloved “Iron-Man”. Had he been lamenting over his former life, he could have never set this future for him that he has now. Once again it is evident that destiny doesn’t shape our future, it is just the other name of the path that we walk on or will walk in.
Our future is solely in our own hands. Our willpower, desire, hunger to grow, and stubbornness to achieve our dream is the fundamental or building block of a bright future.
It is high time we put a stop to these stereotype concepts and orthodox practices and motivate our close ones to overcome the obstacle, by providing necessary support when they stumble. Let not decide someone’s destiny, rather be a part of building his desired destiny or future.
On an ending note, a famous quote by former US President Barack Obama, “Nobody gets to write your destiny but you. Your future is in your own hands.”