I was recently hanging out on the beach with my buddy Gregg Davison and we got in a fairly heated discussion about the concept of “fate”. Here is the definition of “fate” from Wikipedia:

Fate refers to a predetermined course of events.[1] It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. It is a concept based on the belief that there is a fixed natural order to the cosmos.

Now, I realize that a big portion of the world believes that we were all put here for a specific purpose. I just think it’s BS. If there is one thing I have learned in my fight from the bottom to the top it is this: There is no “pre-written story” for you. There is no divine hand that will determine the rest of your life. I actually think “fate” is just a convenient excuse. It is a cosmic cop-out for why people fail. Think about it. When things go wrong it is a lot easier to point the finger at god and say “It’s your fault. You did this to me.” The thought of actually taking personal responsibility for ones life can be very sobering. Most people don’t want to face it. Sadly, by taking this stance, most people miss out on the single most powerful force in the universe.

That is the power of choice.

When you actually take responsibility for all the things that have happened in your life, good or bad, you make a choice to control your life. If you can admit that all your downfalls have been the result of your specific choices then it becomes easy to believe that better choices will create new results. I once had a friend that believed so strongly in the concept of personal responsibility that he told me if he was hit by a drunk driver he wouldn’t blame the driver he would blame himself. He explained to me that it was his choice to walk on that street, to pay better attention, or to leave his house at all, therefore, he was responsible for the outcome.

Now obviously, that is an extreme example.

A more obvious example is the guy who is undereducated, watches too much TV, drinks too much beer, and cannot figure out why he is broke.  Is he unlucky? Are these the “cards he was dealt?”

There is no mystery here. This guy has created his own situation. His actions and habits over the last five years have created his reality. This was not due to fate, it was due to choice. I believe that the choices we make every day create our fate. Do you want more money? Great. Start studying people who have done that. More importantly, study their habits. Lay out a plan and a time frame. Start spending your nights educating yourself instead of watching TV. Start looking at every result, good or bad, and figure out how you manifested it. The strength you will begin to feel is intoxicating. For the first time in your life you will know what it means to be “empowered.”

The next time someone tells you “it was fate”, you will know better.

To your success,

Aaron Parkinson