What Is destiny?
Finding a reasonable answer to
the question of "How can we change our destiny?" depends a great deal
upon our own personal understanding of what destiny is or what it means to us.
There is a multiplicity of possible interpretations.
Thus, the first question is that of what is destiny?
In the fourteenth century,
destiny was used to designate something to which a thing or person was
destined, for example, fortune. The other usage of the word had to do with a
pre-determined course of events, in conjunction with an irresistible power or
agency of some kind, based upon the belief of a universe with a fixed natural
order. (1)
In more recent usage of the
word destiny, it refers to a pre-determined course of events with respect to
the future, regardless of whether or not that refers to the future in general
or the future of a specific person. (2)
Destiny is also still perceived
as being inevitable, or unchangeable and thus, fixed. (3)
Interestingly, there is also
the perception of a person being able to choose his or her own destiny. (4)
Obviously, destiny cannot be
both or can it be? Is it possible that destiny can be both fixed and not fixed?
Taking into consideration a
greater picture or placing all of the different interpretations of the word
destiny on a continuum from one to one hundred, it would appear that some of
the interpretations or ways of understanding the word destiny are positive,
while others are exactly the opposite or negative.
There are Christian and
non-Christian interpretations of the word destiny. Some of the non-Christian
ones are very religious, while others are not.
Examining the word destiny in
the light of various interpretations from other countries around the world,
there are a huge collection of other possible interpretations extending back
into ancient history.
Some of these interpretations
are focused on life, while others are death centered. Some are healing and
heath related, with the healer being able to reveal one's destiny, while others
are not.
Some have to do with the use of
the word fate, fatality and fatalism. Fate, in this context ends with ultimate
death, where the person who dies, has no choice in the matter. (5)
On the other extreme, there is
the concept of pre-destination, where a person is fore-ordained by the Divine
or in another context, by the human will.
There are mythological
interpretations, as well as non-mythological interpretations.
Fortune or chance includes both
good fortune and bad fortune. Destiny can be used in terms of marriage,
leadership roles, work, occupation, special gifts like music, art and various
forms of writing. The list would appear to be endless.
It would appear that when a
person perceives destiny in a positive and constructive light, it can work to
that person's advantage. Perceiving it in a negative light can be one's
downfall.
If one is expecting destiny to
come and knock on one's door as a person, he or she may wind up having to wait
a long time for that visitor.
If one perceives destiny from a
Christian perspective, it would be in terms of God filling, leading and guiding
that person with His Holy Spirit. To true Christians everywhere, it would be
possible for us to have our destiny or pathway in life changed that way.
(1)Webster's Ninth New
Collegiate Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Inc., Springfield
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destiny
(3) Ibid.
(4) Ibid.
(5) Ibid.
(6) Ibid.
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