Do I believe in fate? Yes. And no. I believe the major points in life, or at least our overall purpose, is influenced by fate, but not necessarily written in stone. There are infinite possibilities that the path of life can take us on, but some things would come about no matter what path plays out. I think Forrest Gump said it best in the scene where he’s talking to his dead mama at here grave. He says he doesn’t know if we all have a destiny like Lt. Dan says or if we’re all just kind of floating on the wind. (Remember the feather in the opening and closing shots?) Forrest says, “I think, maybe, it’s both.” A combination of fate and making our own way as we bump into each other along the way.
That’s where I stand. The blended destiny of influence and effort. It’s like when people experience tragedy or loss. You can’t control what happens to you, but you can choose how to react. That makes all the difference.
In the same way, other people can influence you for better or for worse. That influence can be direct and invited or manipulative and unwanted. You can choose to let them in or shut them out. To let them change your mind or ignore them. To proceed as planned or change course. Sometimes the result is the same no matter what you do. Maybe that’s fate.
It’s hard not to talk about fate vs. making your own destiny without at least touching on the question of God. Most people believe in some concept of a higher power, whether it’s the traditional view of a masculine God in trinity: Father, Son and Holy Ghost, or something more abstract: The Universe, a universal force, or the collective unconscious. I grew up in a Christian family and have gone to Christian protestant or Christian non-denominational churches throughout my life and I’m comfortable thinking of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I am not threatened or offended by other beliefs, though. When someone says something like “the Universe is pushing me to do this” or the Universe made that happen, I’m okay with that. I prefer to think of it as God and that the Holy Spirit works and moves within our souls, but what’s important is that there’s some connection that runs through us all on a spiritual plane. In other words, in our souls.
And yes, I think that spiritual realm influences our place in the world and the path our lives take. But we affect it as well. God gave us free will. We aren’t brainless automatons who have no choice but to do God’s will. We can listen to Him or go our own way. And He gives us freedom to explore and forge our path. But there are inevitabilities in life that we have no control over, like death. We all grow old and die and sometimes we lose people before they get old. That can certainly shape our lives one way or another. So again, it comes down to how we react to life’s situations.
Another big area of influence on our lives is who we let into our world. I think it’s, again, a blending of destiny and action. We may meet a friend or significant other who have a profound influence on us, for good or ill. It can mean the difference between success and failure, ordinary or extraordinary, or contentment and unrest.
So, what’s the answer? I guess it’s to keep moving, trying our best to grow and develop as a person, to choose wisely who we walk with and be ready for whatever Life, or Fate sends our way. Do the best with the cards you’re dealt.
Sophisticated Neanderthal 
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