Happenstance
Pardon me while I burst…
I’m going to go out on a limb here. I hope I do not offend, but I just have to get this off my chest.
It drives me mad when people say, “Everything happens for a reason”
No. It. Does. Not.
Look, I wanna believe in the tooth fairy and jolly green giant too, but that’s just wishful thinking. The fates are not attending anybody’s birth; one pulling the thread of your life, one measuring and another cutting.
Things just happen. You either adjust or you don’t. To say that things happen for a reason is to presume there is some kind of fate in play. Which removes control FROM your hands. He who is realistic and adapts…survives.
Depending on how your mind works and how determined you are it could reasonable be argued for any situation that its good things turned out a over b.
No matter what. Adaptability is key.
Naturally, I am considered the GROUP pessimist for continually pointing out those unpleasant facts the “positive thinking types” in my office would rather not dwell on.
Like a year ago when I started telling everybody, “You know we’re working in a dying industry. Everybody should be thinking ahead, get prepared for your next career, get INTO school if you need to, brace yourself”
And now looky where we are.
Verily I say unto you, that glass is neither half empty or half full. There’s just too much glass for the amount of water in it.
I’m not trying to say there isn’t some value to be found in positive reinforcement or in visualizing where you want to end up. Just don’t close yourself off to the negative aspects that are around you at the same time so that you wake up blindsided one day.
Don’t grant the direction of your life over to some invisible force.
Freewill, remember?
We possess the power over our destiny. I don’t believe in fate. I believe in us.
August 19th, 2004 at 4:20 pm
wow. amen, brother.
I tend to be of the pessimistic persuasion myself. I rather wish there WAS something as fun as fate…’cause I don’t have much faith at all in human kind. *sigh*
August 19th, 2004 at 9:00 pm
Me and the guys always had a saying “Expect the worst, but hope for the best… you’ll never be disappointed.”
I’ve also imagined life like a big marble tournament, one hits another, which hits another, etc, and they all scatter in random directions. I never saw life as “predestined”. If it is, the guy writing my script has a pretty fucking sick sense of humor.
However, I do believe hard times builds your character and makes you tougher for the next uphill climb.
Hang in there Witchy. It’s gonna be ok.
August 20th, 2004 at 5:13 am
Fortunately there are no such thing as fate and destiny and whatever either as it would mean you have no control and responsibillity for what goes on in your life. I don’t believe things just happen though. There’s always something triggering it.
August 20th, 2004 at 9:34 am
That was really great and so true. Hang in there.
August 23rd, 2004 at 9:26 am
I also believe things often happen due to outside forces, it’s just that said outside forces and the events that transpire may not actually be for your best in the long run. And I do believe you can grow and learn FROM hard times. But then that too has to do with you and the choices you make. I am truly worried about some of the people around me right now. You guys are the greatest, so glad I found y’all!