The many ideas of "living life" are the most indistinctly defined conundrumsthat a human being can ponder. Philosophy has its own definitions of lifeand living. Of course, so do religions, corporation... The many ideas of "living life" are the most indistinctly defined conundrumsthat a human being can ponder. Philosophy has its own definitions of lifeand living. Of course, so do religions, corporations, politicians, andevery diverse group on the planet. Some of the looser definitions I hearfrom many people include:- Life is ruled by destiny.- Life is ruled by fate.- We all live by a Universal Plan.- Only God knows.In general, many people believe that their lives are already set and thatthey should accept the paths and destinations placed before them. But, thefew that believe that life is what you make of it are the ones thatunderstand that there is no absolute definition for life and living.--- Belief Systems ---In every case, you identify paths in your life based on your own personal"belief system." This system is who you are and what makes you do thethings you do. It is your conscience, your ego, your little devil ... you!Everything you do in life is based on at least one of your core beliefs.But, when you do step outside of that lifelong foundation, you may feelfrightened, uncomfortable, and generally lost.I do believe in a God, a greater existence above us all, but life has taughtme that there are no controlling entities that have absolute plans laid outfor each of us. I would have to say that one's direction is chosen by none,and by all. Our destinies are not chosen at birth, but are poured into usas we grow and every action we take affects others as much as the actions ofothers affect us.We choose our destination in life based on our beliefs. We feel as thoughour destinations are predetermined because we know what we "must" do tosatisfy those beliefs. When we grow to reach the boundaries of that beliefsystem, we become dissatisfied because we can see where we want to go, butcan't get there with our current beliefs. It is at that time that we mustdecide to either take the leap into the unknown, or stay where we arebecause it is safe and known.--- Destiny vs. Destination ---Destiny, by definition, is the idea of "what may happen in the future." Formost, it is the acceptance that we have a predetermined destiny and weshould not fight the path on which we are placed. Destination, bydefinition, is the act of "aiming for a certain position; a place." Forsome, a destination is the ultimate place that we want to be at the end of agiven journey---a chosen place at the end of a path.The idea of allowing destiny to choose your direction in life is the easiestway to live. It guarantees that you will encounter little resistance and beable to live a constant life from beginning to end. You merely experiencethe day-to-day problems of living an existence.However, destiny is only the idea of what "may" happen in the future. It isnot a set future, but one that you choose to accept as an absolute.Accepting destiny usually occurs when one either does not know how to choosea destination in their life or when one is so overwhelmed by their life thatthey don't have time, or are afraid, to choose.To move forward, one must pick a destination, and work to get there. Thisis not an easy task as our own beliefs, disbeliefs, overwhelming situations,and lack of understanding cloud us all. It is not the abandonment of abelief system, it is the enhancement of our existing system through growthand knowledge that brings about change. We must first clear ourselves andunderstand our blocks and our goals so that we can view a better picture ofwhat we can do for ourselves.--- Choosing a Destination ---To choose a destination, you must know what you want. Many times, peopleselect their paths based on their current state and beliefs in their lives.This tends to push them right back into the same, or similar, situationsthat they are in at the time they decide to make a change. This usuallyoccurs out of fear of looking outside of their "comfort zones" andenvironment.Comfort zones are unusual places in which to exist. Such zones can createapathy and lethargy and keep one from moving beyond current situations. Thelack of movement is because the person has become comfortable with aparticular situation in their life and is able to, somewhat, control thesituation. Even if the situation is torturous and stressful, it isfamiliar, and if the person feels control or comfort, they will resistchange and stay there.It is important that, when trying to determine a destination, you think ofthe things that are important to you, overall. Not just now, but in the"long run" of your life. Ask yourself such questions as:- Where do I want to be?- What do I want to do?- What is important to me?In the days of the wagon trains, "ruts" were created in the ground bycontinual traffic over one path. In life, a rut is caused by continualtravel between the same places in your existence. In examining thequestions in detail, you can eventually define a destination outside of yourcurrent situation and break out of any ruts that might keep you moving alongthe same paths.--- Headin' Down the Highway ---Once you go through the process of picking a destination, you have to headin the general direction to reach that destination. It's like driving downa highway. If you're driving down I-10 West, you have a choice to make. Doyou go to Las Vegas or Los Angeles? If the chosen destination is Las Vegas,take the I-40 exit then head North on various highways. If you choose LosAngeles, take I-10 all the way in through Needles. The point is, you chosethe destination, but along that path, you will experience different terrain,decisions, and changes before you reach that destination.In some cases, the path is treacherous, hot, and muggy and you twinge at theexpectation that the destination will be a living hell, when in fact, thedestination is an oasis of more than you could have ever hoped. In othercases, the path is easy, yet the destination is a wild, hot, and crowdedplace that may not meet your expectations. Whatever the assumed outcome,make changes to accommodate yourself, but stay the course.Realize that once you pick a destination in life, you will have to figureout how to get there. Every destination has a different path with different"obstacles." These obstacles, however, are helpful "classes" in preparingyou for your ultimate destination. You can plan for some of these classesby simply examining what it will take to reach your destination. You mustset your goals, vision, and mission before you can understand the challengesthat must be overcome to reach your ultimate destination. It's sometimes adifficult task, but it can be done.--- Pie in the Sky ---I remember being told so many times that my vision of my life was "pie inthe sky." I never cared, and kept on plodding---into failure. But, itwasn't until I began to manage my expectations that I was able to reach mylofty destinations with success. Picking a destination that is far beyondyour immediate reach can lead to disappointment and frustration. Failureleads to more failure and eventually, complete surrender.I'm not telling you to give up on your lofty goals, I'm telling you to slowdown and take a good look at where you're going. You must learn how tobreak your dreams into smaller pieces. Take only pieces of the pie insteadof the whole thing at one time. If you conquer one piece, you're that muchcloser to your ultimate vision. Conquer one piece at a time and learn asyou go. It not only makes you smarter and stronger, but it will also giveyou a better chance of conquering the next leg of your journey to reachthat, originally, lofty goal.--- What's next? ---We do have a controllable destiny, but we have to learn what it is that iskeeping us from satisfying our desires and reaching our chosen destination.This destination must be earned by researching the path it takes to get youthere. This is where you must come to understand your belief system and howto make it grow to accommodate your goals.So many people allow apathy to control their lives. They wait for theirdestinies to come to them. In some cases, they call it "allowing God toguide" them when, in fact, "He" is within us all allowing us to chose andmove in whichever direction we desire. If you still feel like God and theUniverse has a plan for your life, and you really don't want to try to stepout of your situation to move toward a better life, just remember:"God helps those who help themselves." Article Tags: Controllable Destiny, Many People Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com