“Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd little waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don’t always like.”
Lemony Snicket
So. “I shall seize fate by the throat” was said by Beethoven which means Beethoven would have strangled a shitload of odd little waiters.
Ok. It’s easy to think of Fate as odd little waiters who are some strange unknown people guiding our direction in life … often by giving us the unasked for dishes.
This is kind of an uncomfortable thought. There is some randomness to it that ca make you a little uneasy.
Yeah. I admit. I like the thought that we have some destiny … some fate … awaiting us. I like the thought that there is some reason for being here.
Yup.
Every.
Single.
One.
Of.
Us.
Anyway. The struggle I imagine I have in my head with regard to this whole Fate and having odd little waiters bringing my fate to me is … well … that I like doing and not waiting. And the thought of permitting something theoretical like ‘fate’ or ‘destiny’ to take me by the hand and lead me somewhere doesn’t sit well with me. And I also imagine that part of Life is figuring all this shit out.
Figure it out?
Fate is a combination of reacting <to circumstances thrust upon you like dishes you never ordered> and being proactive <thrusting yourself into and against circumstances>.
This also suggests the ability in shifting the course of things.
Yikes.
Whenever people attempt to shift the course of things, things can go horribly wrong. On the other hand, doing nothing and not making the attempt? Things can also go horribly wrong.
But here’s the deal. Fate is more than assuming history, or what will be, has some preexisting shape. Fate actually assumes in some way you have a role in shaping it. Even though we, you & I as individuals, are merely specks in the larger system of Life (or parts of the whole in systems dynamics), you and i can actually impact the system simply by changing our part.
—
“Fate makes demands of flesh and blood.
And what does it most often demand?
Flesh and blood.”
Russian proverb
—-
And this means meeting the dreams of fate, which demands some flesh & blood, within something called ‘Kairos.’ Kairos is the ability to adapt to and take advantage of changing circumstances. In other words kairos suggests you can manage what fate has in store for you if you manage the circumstances as they arise. This also suggests that fate has a whole kitchen of possible dishes to serve you — not just one. And depending on what you do and how you act and what you say … the odd little waiter may end up bringing you something other than what it thought it was going to bring you a moment ago.
This also suggests some boldness.
Not boldness like ‘fate favors the brave’, but rather having the audacity to believe in this wild and wacky and always complex and somewhat chaotic world you can actually have a say in your fate.
This also means that even if you balk at the concept of ‘being bold’ suffice it to say that fate favors those who actually show up: Interestingly it was JK Rowling who said something along the same lines …
—
“Destiny is a name often given in retrospect to choices that had dramatic consequences.”
J.K. Rowling
—-
Fate is all about showing up.
It seems almost weird to even suggest this, but simply showing up can have dramatic consequences.
Yup.
Even something as unspectacular as ‘showing up’ can be a choice which has dramatic consequences to your destiny. That is an important thought because a shitload of us think of fate when looking in a rear view mirror.
And often we do so without thinking about the choices, and the choices WE made, led us to the place where we saw what we saw in that rear view mirror. I mention that because I imagine we rarely think about showing up as a key choice with some dramatic consequences.
Regardless. You know … I imagine we all have to believe in some way we are here for a reason.
And that is where Fate or Destiny resides.
Somewhere in that ever elusive ‘reason’ or maybe some call it ‘purpose’ or it could just be your “ROI in life.” Pick your poison.
What do I mean?
Fate and destiny are the end accomplishment, but it’s kind of up to you to figure out what that destination is.
Uh oh. Unfortunately fate or destiny … well … they tend to be quiet fellows <or women>.
They tend to keep their thoughts to themselves.
Even worse?
They have a tendency to hide so you can’t sit them down and say ‘what is my fate?’ … ‘what is my destiny?’ … ‘tell me where to go’.
That makes life a little tricky because it makes some really important shit unable to be seen. So you have to make some guesses. Maybe assess some probabilities. Certainly embrace some uncertainty and ambiguity. Or maybe we should just suggest accepting some ‘leaps of faith.’ Some leaps within, well, Kairos.
So. I read somewhere there is the seen and the unseen. That not all is certainty in the world because if there were there would be no opportunity for faith. In other words there would never be any opportunities for a ‘leap of faith.’
Well. Certainty sounds pretty frickin’ nice, but, it would also seem to be a pretty dull world without having to take some leaps of faith on occasion.
Therefore, circling back to my opening quote, sometimes you kind of have to reach out … either with faith … or maybe out of sheer frustration … and grab one of the odd little waiters by the throat and say “here is my fate … this is my destiny … now go back to the kitchen and return this frickin’ dish.”
So, in the end, maybe Fate sometimes does need to be seized by the throat.
—
“I shall seize an odd
little waiter by the throat and order my fate.”
Bruce McTague
——–
In the end. You have a choice with regard to your fate and that’s to show up and make some choices and make some leaps of faith.
I cannot suggest nor guarantee that all choices will be good or even guide you well, but making choices at least means your fate is a little less in the hands of some odd little waiters serving you things you haven’t ordered.
I will be honest.
In today’s world, today’s environment, I am hesitant to leave my fate in the hands of some odd little waiters bringing me things I may not like. Ponder whether you are.
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