To Fate or To Not Fate?

“Life is what happens to us while we’re busy making other plans.” - Allen Saunders

Then again we have William Ernest Henly who said, as I quote, “It matters not how strait the gate, 

How charged with punishments the scroll, 

I am the master of my fate: 

I am the captain of my soul.”

Which school of thought do you admit to?

Fate! Psychological, philosophical and even biblical studies, all have attempted to decipher the concept of fate over the years, yet, it is still as ambiguous as ever. Some believe that fate is like a manual from the stars, a cosmic rule-book which defines the course of our lives. Others yet, believe that it is our actions and our actions alone which decide our fate. 

But what truly is fate and how crucial is it in our lives? I think, that, maybe it is a combination of both, the stars and the grind, the universe and the action. 

I think every right you’ve taken instead of the left, every time you decided to walk home instead of taking a cab, every time you made a last minute venue change, every time you decided to give another shot, was action. It was you, dictating fate. Each conscious decision you take affects the course of your life and opens so many new realms with hundreds of different people, choices and things you wouldn’t have experienced if you chose otherwise. Our fate is controlled by our collective decisions, history of all the choices, each influencing the other, creating the much known butterfly effect. 

What I think is that, maybe fate is semi-controllable and you can control only your end of it. What if universal energy is nothing but the fact that the choices of every single person you’ve ever met, sat for a coffee with, influence our fate? Clearly it is a huge force to reckon with, and maybe that’s why we bow to it, abide by it and label it as the universal fate. 

For instance, I would’ve not met my best friend, if it weren’t for the choices of all the people concerned. Or perhaps, my parents would’ve never met if my mother would’ve taken the job in another city. I guess at the end of the day, it all comes down to choices. The collective choices of hundreds of people you’ve crossed paths with, colliding with your own, and adding to the beautiful intricacies of a thousand other choices before you. 

So, the next time someone asks me if I believe in fate, I might just say yes. First, because a part of it is mine to influence. And second would be my faith in every person I’ve met or yet to meet, to make good choices. 

So, now the question’s for you- To fate or to not fate?