Salinye Posted October 2, 2003 Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 Does living as though you control your own destiny lead to a more powerful life?? Ready.... Set.... GO! ~Salinye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrion Posted October 2, 2003 Report Share Posted October 2, 2003 If you can consider what I'm doing living. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aardvark Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Were you fated to ask that question? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaeha Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Depends on what you mean by power. Living as if you control your own destiny certainly leads to a more realistic, responsible life. I tend to regard fatalists as people who don't want to take responsibility for their actions... But a more powerful life? That depends on your definition of power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Celes Crusader Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Well, having full control of your life allows one to avoid any unknows that could twist and turns anyone's life. There's power as in eliminating soem of the unpredictable but, I think it is very limited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayshela Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 (edited) i agree, it really depends on your definition of a "powerful life". IMHO, if you live as if you control your destiny you live a more *empowered* life, in that you actively seek solutions and resolutions to the situations you encounter in life. if you live as if control of your life resides elsewhere - in someone else, in "the fates", or wherever, your view of available solutions is far more limited. Someone who feels helpless within their own life can still have powerful impacts on other people and on events within their sphere of influence. what, i think, is diminished by their feelings of helplessness is their *perceived* sphere of influence and *perceived* range of possible actions and reactions. "more powerful" or "more empowered".. i think i'd say probably, yes, to some degree. That you *can* have an effect on someone or something is meaningless if helplessness prevents you from seeing the opportunity or acting upon it. So, there, my rambling opinion, worth every copper you paid for it. Edited October 3, 2003 by Ayshela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WrenWind Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Life is about the choices we make. We are in control of our own destinies to a point. If we sit back and do nothing then we waste the chances we have been given. Though we can not control everything that happens to us we can control how we react to them. Choose to be empowered. Choose to be inspired. Choose to make a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peredhil Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 What if we chose to give control over to someone, Someone, or something else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Portrait of Zool Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Then we are responsible for giving control over to someone or something else. This can be a powerful thing, but I believe we are always responsible for what we do. Of course, help is always welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savannah Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Why would you give someone else-anyone else?-control over your life? That is like saying "I give up, I cannot handle this-you be responsible." That to me is not living-that is existing. To have someone else dictate your every move, your every thought? How absolutely terrible! The actions I take may not always be the best ones and they may result in horrible reactions, but in the end I prefer having no one to blame but me. You learn by doing-mistakes and all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salinye Posted October 3, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Well, Peredhil raises a very good point. For those of us who are religious, we do put our ultimate fate in the hands of a higher being/loving Heavenly Father/Higher Power etc. (Depends on individual beliefs.) I don't agree that this is giving up in any way shape or form. For me, I believe in free agency/free will. God did not make us robots. He put us here specifically with the ability to make our own decisions and choices. If we make bad decisions or even decisions alterior to His will, he won't stop us. We're not controlled in any way. Some of us simply make the choice to ponder and pray about some of our more important decisions and/or to make them with our beliefs in mind. Everyone's beliefs influence some of their decisions, even if that belief is to believe in no God/higher power/Spiritual influence etc. I don't feel controlled at all. It's sort of like a good parent (note, not all parents are good) that guides their children and teaches them in the things they should know, but then stands back to help them when they request it, but to also watch them make their own mistakes. It's hard to watch someone you love make mistakes you've made KNOWING the results. But you have to let them make them because they won't learn the life lesson with all their heart unless they make the mistake on their own. I sort of view my relationship with my Heavenly Father in that manner. He always has his hand of love and knowledge extended out to me, offered to me. However, it is up to me to look up and take it or accept it. He won't force his will on me. So, I do believe I control my own actions and my own reactions the best I can. (I am human) However, I try to live a prayerful and Christ centered life. Does that make me a lemming? I think maybe someone who is uneducated on my lifestyle and only hears I'm "religious" might think so. However, a day in the life of me would show otherwise. :0) Woo, that was quite the ramble, eh? I just hope it makes sense! ~Salinye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Appy Posted October 4, 2003 Report Share Posted October 4, 2003 Made perfect sense to me Salinye, even though I am not religious. hmm now for the question, I have a tough time answering this, since I, myself always see myself as an individual in control of her own actions, but, as my mom recently told me, to the outside I come over as dependent on others and unable to make descisions. Now the ONE problem I really have with this question; Does living as though you control your own destiny lead to a more powerful life?? is the mentioning of Destiny... That word in itself for me, already holds something preordained in it, something that we cannot fully control or change... So I will answer the question without that word in it, if you will permit, Salinye.. "Does living as though you control your own actions lead to a more powerfull life?" To that I say Yes, with all my heart. Forcing yourself up everyday takes huge effort at times, the same for forcing yourself to do the simplest things, but it made my life and 'myself' that much more powerfull. It's great to find out that you indeed can overcome most 'moods' that affect you physically.. specially for one such as me (winterdepressions going towards manical, aka, highly influence by weather conditions) The only way towards "Living" is to "Live" There, did I make sense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valdar and Astralis Posted October 4, 2003 Report Share Posted October 4, 2003 What if we chose to give control over to someone, Someone, or something else? http://www.themightypen.net/public/style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif Could this have less innocent implications!?!?! http://www.themightypen.net/public/style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif *Hears a whip crack somewhere* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regel Posted October 5, 2003 Report Share Posted October 5, 2003 I was in Quebec City recently. Summer in one of North America's oldest city is something special. I walked into a shop that sold glass. Turns out that they shaped and formed all the glass in their shop. They used a hot blast oven to heat sand into a glass blob. They would shape and form this blob into whatever the artisan wanted to create. As the heat was applied the glass would slump under the force of gravity. Gently blowing into the end of a very long metal rod the glass blob would expand. As it cooled the glass would harden. In a very deliberate way the glassblower would work the piece until it took the desired shape. Gently rolling the piece back and forth tapping it here and there and occasionally reheating it so that the shaping could continue. I am that glass blob and although I can't see the hand that turns and shapes me I now acknowledge that it's there. For a good long while I thought that I was doing what I wanted to do and that my growth and development was of my own doing. I do not know the vessel that I will become but I do have the sense that I have a purpose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peredhil Posted October 5, 2003 Report Share Posted October 5, 2003 That is profoundly deep, with sweeping implications. In fact, there are all sorts of really good thinking, communicated well, on this thread. At times like these, I'm proud to be in this community. Smirks at Valdar but knows the better part of appearing wise is to keep his mouth shut and his ears quiet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Portrait of Zool Posted October 5, 2003 Report Share Posted October 5, 2003 I used to doubt free will, but was fated to change my destiny. ;p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parmenion Posted October 5, 2003 Report Share Posted October 5, 2003 Salinye: "I don't feel controlled at all. It's sort of like a good parent (note, not all parents are good)" ---> does this imply you feel that there are many gods? The question is fun but it is weighted with the background of the author behind it in my opinion. Which if not recognized can lead to clouded answers... Q: "Does living as though you control your own destiny lead to a more powerful life??" The use of "as though" implies that the author feels that when we think we are in control - we are in fact not. Thats what I read into it. The use of the word "powerful" I felt unsure about. I take that to basically be a substitute for the word "controlled" that didn't want to be used twice, but I am very unsure whether it was meant this way. I believe I have complete control over my life and the way it is lived. I believe I have control over every reaction I make regardless of whether or not I am intoxicated or not - I still know what I am doing! I believe (for myself) that if I put my control into the hands of anyone or thing other than myself I would be giving up my life itself. For a life where I am not in complete control would for me be a life not worth living. I believe that everyone makes a decision in this regard for themselves and DO NOT believe other people are wrong if they think placing their "control" fully or somewhat into other hands would be giving up. I believe my beliefs are for myself alone PS: I also believe that Fate is in fact a fickle b1tch who dotes on irony! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts