Reflections: On Dreams & Destiny…
“Dreams are like stars…you may never touch them, but if you follow them they will lead you to your destiny.” Anon
Reflections: On Dreams & Destiny… Is it determined by the Fortune Wheel?
Why are some people considered lucky and others unlucky? Why do some people achieve phenomenal success while others struggle to make ends meet? What determines whose dreams gets realized and whose doesn’t? If you had ten people in a room and posed these questions, you’d probably get ten different answers … therein lies the mystery of destiny, dreams, and good old karma. The answer is not so simple as “do the work and the rest will follow…” Sure, working hard is honorable but, sometimes nothing follows but more work. Why? Ponder the anecdotal story below to help us understand the workings of the path to dreams and destiny.
A woman walks into a dealership to buy a car. She has driven by the dealership many times before and has fallen in love with a particular model and color. An enthusiastic salesman approaches her and goes through the drill; they talk numbers, expectations, and even go for a test drive. They return to the office and the lady is waiting for the next move. The salesman invites her to take her time and wishes her a lovely day. He assumes she’ll let him know when she’s ready. She nods her head and leaves… surprised. Why? He never asks for the sale. He doesn’t close the deal. She won’t be going back. I know this because she told me the story of how she bought her second car… somewhere else.
What happened to the car salesman goal for the month? Perhaps we don’t ask for what we want because we are afraid of rejection. But, how would you fulfill your destiny if you keep your mouth shut and your hands tied behind your back? Perhaps, we don’t ask because we don’t believe we’d get?
“I can’t control my destiny, I trust my soul, my only goal is just to be. There’s only now, there’s only here. Give in to love or live in fear. No other path, no other way. No day but today.” Johnathan Larson
Reflections: On Dreams & Destiny… Does the Delphic Sibyl decide?
“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” Anon
So what really determines how or when we achieve our dreams? Kismet? Destiny? Determination? Karma? Our thoughts not sabotaging our dreams? Timing and luck? Asking for help and believing you’ll get it? Our choices? I’m inclined to say that we need elements of all of the above because it takes more than hard work, free will, or even determinism to realize our dreams. Does everything happen for a reason or do our actions and thoughts simply bear fruit – as an expected outcome? Our emotional quotient and character play a hand in realizing our dreams and, of course, whether we like it or not, there is something to be said about luck; good old luck! Some believe that when we make extra effort, we enter the zone and then serendipity produces what we call luck. Luck is what some refer to as being at the right place at the right time. Maybe. X followed the exact steps as Y. X found success while Y languished. Why? What do you think?
“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” Gail Devers
Reflections: On Dreams & Destiny… Determinism or Free Will?
I love reading autobiographies because we can follow the genesis of a human story from the earliest memories to where the individual decides to stop the story in the book. Many stop at a peak point; a moment of realization that the dream they held dear or never expected has come to roost. Each story is different; each person has come to their achievement with a different set of obstacles/challenges … and some never planned or expected their life to unfold the way it did. Hard work is constantly bandied around as the magic pill for success but, it is not a given. There are people who give their all to their dreams and have the talent to boot, but then life happens and they never realize their dreams. Sometimes, they are diverted elsewhere. Sometimes, they end up nowhere. Why? What causes that to happen? I agree with Gail that all things are possible if we believe … Possible? Yes. Probable? No. If our goals are realistic and we act with courage to accomplish them, the chances are greater that we might succeed but, who knows, as there are no guarantees.
“It’s choice–not chance–that determines your destiny.” Jean Nidetch
Reflections: On Dreams & Destiny… Chance or Choice?
Jean Nidetch is the founder of Weight Watchers and her story underscores the idea that success comes because we prepare, plan and follow a course of action. There is more… Jean needed to lose some weight and followed a regimen offered through the NYC Board of Health. After losing some weight and finding herself tempted to go back to her old eating habits, she pulled a group of friends together to support one another and it grew from there. How many have started support groups that didn’t grow beyond the original group? Did Jean have a vision of a worldwide organization? She made a choice to lose weight and it shaped her destiny but is that everyone’s story? Nope. Sometimes, I wonder that perhaps some are called to serve in a global capacity whilst others work behind the scenes. Yet another group might have neither the inclination nor the drive to achieve, and that is the choice we make too. No?
“It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped” Anthony Robbins
Reflections: On Dreams & Destiny… The Knight’s Dream? Decisions made?
If you’ve read Anthony Robbin’s story, you know what led him to turn his life around and create the successful company he now runs. He followed his decision to end the pity party and get back in top form and, it paid off. We can all make that commitment to honor our higher self and end up … somewhere else? One thing I know for sure is that on our journey to meet our successful self, we must agree to change. Our agreement is vital. The elders in my father’s village had a popular saying; Onye kwe, Chinya ekwee – “When you agree, your destiny, your Creator, your guides also rally to agree… then success comes.”
Today, a friend sent me a sermon from Rick Warren and it’s titled God Has a Plan for Your Life. The essence of it is that we are destined to run a particular race set out for us, not the one we imagined or that others imagined for us… A quote from the sermon says. “God doesn’t want rabbits to fly and eagles to swim. They are shaped to do what they are supposed to do,and you are shaped to do what God wants you to do.” Who decides? You? God as mystical destiny? Both? I can live with that… What are your thoughts? Do you believe in destiny or self-determination or both? What is guiding your life and your dreams? Do you expect to achieve your dreams/goals? Do share! Thank you. 😉
This post was inspired by a prompt from WP Daily Post: Why do some people’s dreams get realized and others don’t?
Positive Motivation Tip: What you believe you become. What you dream, you might touch. What is destined, will meet you somewhere … someday.
Related articles
- How to Identify Your Destiny (mediumsworld.wordpress.com)
- Inspiration: If You Can… (eof737.wordpress.com)
- Destiny’s Dance (liveonimpulse.wordpress.com)
- Destiny!! (kapilvirenahuja.wordpress.com)
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: Photo of Fortune wheel,delphic Sybil, topple dominos, determinism, the knight’s dream via Wikipedia
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
I believe in dreams and in destiny. I think all things happen for a reason.
TY Jackie! Yes and I believe in them and in other factors as mentioned above. I am inclined to believe that while many things happen for a reason, there are things that just happen… no explanation, no reason. 🙂
Beautiful post as always, Eliz.
I agree with Jackie…all things do happen for a reason.
And many times the reason is that we used our determination to keep on until we succeed. Often, our goals may change as we persist, honing our desires or dreams. Sometimes it may seem that particular people are “lucky”…but if we look deep enough, we will usually see that the “luck” is actually putting ourselves in the right place at the right time with the right preparation. 🙂
TY Vivian! Glad to see you again… It’s been a while. Your points are well taken. But, I believe there are more layers to that onion and the more we dig, the more we question, until reach a place where we ask no more questions because, perhaps, … we don’t fully know or it no longer matters. 🙂
As per luck, sometime we are not prepared for it… remember those sad stories we’ve all read about success gone awry. 🙂 TY for your insights!
The photograph is awesome. Something about these illuminations always inspires me! Thanks for sharing!
TY Claudia… these are from Wikipedia… I visited your blog and l loved it. TY for the connection!
Hello everyone,
I will be catching up with posting all of my comments on your blogs over the weekend. We’ve been quite busy here with family visits from abroad and other commitments elsewhere. Thank you for your support and patience!
Happy July 4th weekend to you! 🙂
Elizabeth
I believe in destiny. I also believe in self-determination. We have both. Success comes when we recognize what our life’s work is – whether it’s as a garbage man or a president – and do it the best way we know how.
I definitely expect to achieve my dreams but I also recognize that my dream at 20 is a different dream than the one at 30.
My work changes but fundamentally (and I have enough time to look back), at the core, it is the same: I’m a creative person. Whatever I do must allow me freedom and flexibility to be creative or I’m not happy.
It took me a long time to embrace that creative person because I always saw myself as being something else, like a doctor or lawyer. The doctor thing went out the window very early – I hate the sight of blood and seeing people suffer even in a hospital setting has a profound effect on me. I tried for 3 years to get into law school and couldn’t. The last year, I decided that if I didn’t get into the school I wanted, I’d do the “art thing.” Even as I said it, I was hoping secretly that I’d get in, I didn’t want to give up the dream I had nursed for so long.
But once I decided, everything changed. I’ve never looked back and I’ve never been happier.
My favorite quote on the subject is from Goethe. It’s much longer but here’s the best part:
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.
Another thought provoking post, Elizabeth.
Happy 4th!
It’s a strange thing Eliz…when I was a child I felt my life was guided and I put full trust into that feeling. I remember the thought coming to me when I was young that I would be a nurse and I remember discarding that idea believing I could never attain that. Whenever I continued on a path of belief without really knowing my life was fine. Now and then I would listen to people who planned tjeir goals in five years, ten years and whenever I tried that I got nowhere. For me success came with complete surrender..belief. Funny that you have posted this and reminded me of faith as since January when I retired I have felt loss trying to figure out what I am supposed to be doing..because I know there is ‘something’ but cannot figure it out. You have reminded me to go back to faith and belief and from this very moment I surrender! Thank you! Again!!
It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped…
by the way the slogan of the actual soccer FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011 is
LIVE YOUR GOAL!
some days ago: USA vs. North Korea 2:0
today: USA vs. Colombia
You must be enjoying the soccer game! TY for the updates 😉
I totally believe in destiny! Our choices and our decisions guildes us to this destiny. Some things are just met to be ! Everything and every place leads us to this destiny. Great Post ! 🙂
I once read some study that was done where they took two people and had them set up to meet an interviewer at a coffee shop. One of the people had always considered herself unlucky and one considered herself lucky. For each test subject, they planted a $5 bill outside the coffee shop they were supposed to be meeting at. Then they stood them up and watched what happened. The ‘unlucky’ person did not see the $5 bill in her hurry. She sat there and pouted that she’d been stood up. The ‘lucky’ person found $5 outside the coffee shop, was so excited that they told a person sitting near them. That conversation turned into a job opportunity (or something, I read this a long time ago!) for that person.
Self fulfilling prophecies!!
Great post! I’m a believer in all things happening for a reason, good AND bad. Some things we’re not meant to understand the WHY they happen but I still believe there’s always a hidden reason.
I believe we are in control of our destiny. Once we are old enough to make our own life choices, of course. So I would agree with Robbins: “It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped”. We make decisions, small and not so small, every day. Major decisions we make not so often, such as the decision to get married, or the decision to have a child (or become a step-mother of four!), but we are in control of our decisions.
Is there some karma out there? Maybe – in fact I’d like to hope there is, because I am still in enough of a state of anger to wish some visits a couple of people who tried (unsuccessfully) to control my destiny. I’m hoping that passes with time. 🙂
It’s all about fate vs. free will.
I believe in dreams and destiny and I believe to not push hard, just to push in the right direction
I like that… TY!
Love this post! I am huge on quotes so I gravitated toward them and they are so beautiful and inspirational! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you!
Ok, I’m going off the track a bit here but I smiled when I read your post title as I posted earlier about a dream I had last night! It was really delicious. Though, that is not too far flung from your topic as it first seems – as aren’t all dreams part of our imagination, our consciousness speaking/relating/guiding us? Never mind me – I’m still on a high with that dream – and again, isn’t that what dreams are about, our highest possible potentials? 🙂
Hahaha! I’m with you on that too.. They are directing us to our highest potential… Some are prophetic and some are symbolic… All pithy with insights. TY! 🙂
You are welcome! Just want to add that I am not a believer in luck or unlucky people – our destiny is charted not by chance but by consciousness – our own. That’s my more serious thought. 🙂
This is a tough topic! I think I mostly believe that things are predetermined and that we are on a path to where we are supposed to go.
To a certain degree yes… we still have to move our feet. TY! 🙂
I do believe that everything happens for a reason, but sometimes we don’t know what that reason is. That is the really hard part.
Exactly… nothings is etched in stone.
I love reading autobiographies too..I am a dreamer and i always follow my heart.
My kindred spirit… 🙂
For me, dreams is one of those things that make us get up in the morning. While destiny is something that we choose to believe in.
I love this post. I do believe in destiny and it needs to push hard. thanks for making me inspired.
I love the images you used for this post. Some get lucky because they follow their dreams. Dreams are not enough. You also have to work for it.
And you must have other factors in place… 🙂
I believe that we are the one who does make their destiny.
Love your post, my hubby and I were believe in destiny, we have dreams together.
I really like the idea of having a destiny, but can’t really force myself to truly believe in its existence. But wouldn’t it be something if it were true and we were all placed on Earth to carry out a life that had a specific purpose? In some ways it sounds stifling, but in others it sounds like a way to achieve true freedom to be yourself and do what you are being called to. Your blog always gets me thinking down to the depths of myself.
Thank you Holly! I see destiny as a comnbination of inspiration, action and calling. It is not like a sentence to perform, just a bit of knowing and action.
I really love that first quote but I don’t believe in destiny. I believe that we all play a part in how we live and it’s not destiny but hard work that gets us there. That’s just me though. 🙂
I know people who worked very hard for certain goals and never fulfilled them… I think hard work is overrated. It’s fine to work hard but,the road to success is strewn with the bodies of those who worked themselves to death trying to get there. In real estate, there is a popular saying: “Work smart not hard!” I think we need a combination of all the factors mentioned in the post to succeed; not one but a combo of all. <3
This is my favorite post from you. I definitely believe that for me the answer is both. But I pondered this a lot this past year as far as how much our mindset accomplishes what we want. Meaning visualization etc. I work hard, but I’m not the best at positive thinking and believing it WILL happen. Trying to be better in that area, but until then I’ll continue to work hard and follow the path meant for me!
You are doing great!
Finding our destiny is such a convoluted dance! I try to just enjoy the journey! lol I like to keep dreams and goals and work towards them, but I also try to keep aware of the fact that the path to get there is where it’s really at.
It is a mystery too.
I was just reflecting on a memory my father brought up. When I was 5 I saved him and my mother from a house fire, had that not happened I wouldn’t be successful in my business, with my 2 kids and raising awareness for special needs. Destiny does exist in my eyes.
100% agreed! <3
I think things are determined to a point, but we have free wills and can alter our paths. Thank goodness for that too!
Hahaha! Do we use our free will effectively?
I too love reading Biographies. I learn from the mistakes of these great people who have gone before me while at the same time I am inspired by their greatness. And yes I too believe that everything happens for a reason.
You and me both!
I’ve been trying to change the way I think. Thank you for your post!
As always – inspiring! I believe in dreams, destiny and sometines we don’t understand but that is life and we must learn and grow. Beautiful photography as well
Oh TY! love your insights.
I sooo believe in destiny. This is so interesting!
I do believe my dreams are my destiny. Love the post.
I believe in both dreams and destiny! They are both informed by one another.
I love this, I truly believe that everything happens for a reason.
I believe so too.
I believe that everything happens for a reason but is not predestined by fate by how you cope with the obstacles that are thrown at you.
It’s a combination of factors… true.