At some point I guess I believed that the universe would magically take care of everything, do all the work. I thought that breathing was all that was required on my part. Showing up, and being open. Well I do still believe that it's important to breathe, show up and be open... But I've come to realize that a more active type of openness is required for optimum workingoutedness.
At some other point I constructed a beautiful theory about the universe's persistence in offering us THE path to peace and joy. I felt that if we came to a fork and chose the path that turned out to be rockier and somewhat more circuitous in nature, the universe would give us another chance, as it were. We would come to another fork, get another shot at making a more favourable choice. So in this theory I gave myself some element of choice and ownership, but ultimately the end result was out of my hands. The so called 'correct' path choice would keep appearing, until my thick-headed self had the lightbulb moment. I even had some fairly significant anecdotal experience and observation to support this theory. I liked this. I was the master of my own fate, but if I got it wrong, I got endless do-overs!
More recently it has occured to me that there is no such thing as THE path. That is far too easy. One can find oneself on a path that is not easy, and leads nowhere good, but it's not necessarily wrong. That is too simplistic. That is still removing the element of personal responsibility. The path is 'right' if we want to use simple terminology, if WE are right. It's how we choose to run the race, walk the path. That is the part that makes the difference. I have walked what appeared to be gracious and easy paths, but felt somehow lost. I have walked identifiably challenging roads and felt grand. What's the common factor? Me. It's about how I choose to walk.
Each choice we make, leads us somewhere. And all those somewheres offer us something. It's up to us to take the best or the worst of what there is to take. It's up to us to flow with the energies around us, perhaps flitting along and not having to walk at all.
I don't mean to eliminate fate entirely. I like the idea of fate, it's quite romantic, and oh so guilt free :) We can still have fate, but we shouldn't depend on it. Maybe we can work with it? Identify our 'fate' and go get it? Not forcibly, but gently and with intent.
A thing is meant to be if we choose it to be.
