I am a master of my fate. Well sometimes.
Fate happens. I’ve lost two children. One at a year and one at 43 years. That is fate.
I’ve run out from under a crown fire (the fires burning in the tops of the trees but has not descended to the ground yet) and laid in a shallow ditch for 15 minutes while another brush fire flashed over me. And just last week I was riding my bike when a car pulled up alongside me and forced me off the road onto a grass shoulder. That is fate.
Fate is those things that happen to us that we cannot do anything about.
You can react in a way that can save your life, but what happened was beyond your control.
I cannot remember the times God could have taken me, and He responded, “Nope, not today Bill.” That is fate. Some people would call it, “Just plain dumb luck.” I thank God for my luck.
I’ve been on a mountain top when my hair stood straight up. So, I know what it is like to almost be struck by lighting. I crawled off that mountain till I reach the trees and was no longer the highest point on that mountain. Being a human lightning rod is what I call fate. Crawling off the mountain was me controlling my fate.
Are You a Drifter or a Doer
Many people tend to let their lives be guided by fate. They don’t plan their lives. They just react to what happens to them. Of course, if you were born into extreme poverty your fate may be sealed as you struggle just to survive. You have no control over who your parents are or whether they are rich or poor. That’s fate.
You take control of your fate when you find your calling.and start planning how you want to live your life.
The family circumstances you are born into is fate. You become a master of your fate when you take positive action to pursue your dreams.
I know a family where the husband is a sadomasochist and slave master of his family. The oldest stepson left home when he was 16 and despises his stepfather. Number two is being treated for severe depreciation and suicidal tendencies. Number Four has dealt with mild to moderate depression most of her life. Their personalities were formed during their childhood. That’s fate.
How they deal with their current lives is determined by the friends they associate with and what they want to accomplish.
I’m not a psychologist or psychiatrist. I’m sharing my thoughts as a 90-year-old man who has experienced a lot and who has, I hope, a bit of common sense.
Meditation
I believe it is my choice to be positive or negative. When I start having negative thoughts, I meditate. My mantra is usually the Lords Prayer. It calms me and blocks out negative thoughts, My sensei taught me to use a diaphragm breathing technique for meditation. I also work at mindfulness. Mindfulness is the process of understanding your values, your emotions, and your purpose. When all are in alignment and you are seeing progress toward your goals, it is hard to be down.
Be Grateful for the small things in life.
When I evaluate my day, one of the questions I ask is, “What am I grateful for.” When you express your gratitude in writing, you are forced to look at the small pleasures in your life.
My son, when I was pushing his wheelchair, shouted at me to stop. We spent 15 minutes watching a spider spin its web in the glow of the morning sun.
Take time to walk in the woods and enjoy your life. You are the master of your fate when you know what you want to accomplish and see progress toward your goals every day.
Turn your dreams into action. Remember, imperfect action beats perfect inaction every time.
Conclusion
* Accept your fate. It is stuff that happens that you have no control over.
* Plan to take control of your life.
* Work on the most important thing in your life first thing in the morning. Your most important thing should be that which will have the most impact on the most people to help them live a better life.
* Be prepared to deal with the good and the bad that Fate drops in your lap.
* Make your life as resilient as possible.
* Remember, how you spend your time is how you spend your life.
* Keep a Journal and track how you spend your time. Strive to devote at least 20% of your life to accomplishing tasks that make a difference to you and to the world.
* The relationships you create with others will be the most important things in your life
* Help enough people and you will do very well. (Zig Zigler)