Thoughts about Destiny

There is a lovely book of ancient wisdom called, “The Book of Runes” by Ralph H. Blum (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1993). In a chapter that discusses the idea of destiny, Mr. Blum defines the term as “your ideal passage through this life, your ideal possibility”. Rather than equating destiny to fate, a preordained outcome that cannot be changed, Mr. Blum seems to view destiny more as the inner purpose of a life that can be discovered and realized.

Destiny is a fluid thing. The choices you make each day can dam it up or allow it to flow freely. Destiny waits upon your attention: it is there for you to discover or for you to ignore. And once you’ve discovered your destiny, it’s up to you to make of it what you will.

Perhaps you will have a blinding flash of insight as to the path you’re meant to walk. Or perhaps your destiny will be revealed in brief moments of clarity that flicker brightly and then disappear, like the flame of a match. Either path will serve.

Unfortunately, finding your destiny doesn’t automatically guarantee a smooth road, a singing choir of angels and an easy life. In fact, the road may get incredibly more difficult and challenging. If that's the case, why bother? Life can be hard enough without inviting even more uncertainty and heartache.

I bother because at the end of my life I want to be able to look back and say, “Good for you. You engaged with your life as fully as possible. You took chances in order to follow the path that felt right. You were willing to fail and to succeed. And you remembered to have fun along the way, to notice and enjoy all the beauty and blessings that life has to offer.”

My favorite line in Mr. Blum’s destiny chapter is this:

“If your limitations define what you may not do in the world, they also challenge you to accept yourself and get on with what is yours to achieve.”

What a lovely slap in the face! The choice is always mine: to spend endless hours lamenting my shortcomings and failures, or to focus on moving forward in whatever way I can, regardless of how humble that way might seem.

How will I know what is mine to achieve? It will be those things that I accomplish after I follow my truth, put forth my best effort, and face my fears along the way. This is how I will discover my destiny, my best passage through life, and my ideal possibility.



I hope you enjoyed this post. If you would like to know more about the LIVE like YOU MEAN it! training, the next teleseminar begins on May 25th. Click on LIVE like YOU MEAN it! Teleseminar.

Best Regards,

Beverly