Overall, fate tends to have pretty negative connotations.
For example, people who experience misfortune often tend to believe that fate is the cause.
Pessimistic terms such as,
"to seal one's fate."
and
"a fate worse than death."
all suggest that fate is something undesirable and negative.
Spiritually, fate is what occurs when we ignore our life calling and don't actively work to reconnect with our souls or True Nature.
When we leave our lives up to fate, we are basically handing over the reins of control to other people and outside circumstances.
When we don't put any effort into consciously changing and evolving, what happens is fate.
What is Destiny?
Destiny has much more positive connotations than fate.
Deriving from the Latin word Destinare, destiny means,
"that which has been firmly established."
While this definition also refers to the idea of predetermined events, destiny is something we can actively shape and alter.
Unlike fate, there is an element of choice in destiny.
Qualities such as:
courage
compassion
willpower
and patience can all help to change your destiny.
Spiritually, destiny is intimately connected to our ultimate life path.
When we choose to step up and take responsibility for our lives, then we are actively shaping our destiny instead of leaving our lives to fate.
Fulfilling our destiny involves consciously developing a connection to our deepest inner selves and maturing on an emotional, mental, and spiritual level.
What's the Difference Between Fate and Destiny?
Summarized:
Fate is that which you cannot change.
Destiny is that which you're meant to do.
While fate is what happens when you don't take responsibility for your life, destiny is what happens when you commit to growing, learning, and taking chances.
Being,
"Destined for greatness."
only comes through active and conscious decisions.
But fate is what happens when you let other people and external circumstance dictate your life.
Do We Have Control?
Fate and destiny can be perceived as two sides of the same coin:
both are predetermined.
But the important thing to remember is that there are infinite possibilities in life.
Fulfilling our destiny means consciously directing the stream of our lives in a certain direction.
While subjectively (to the ego) this means that we have control and choice, objectively, there is no such thing as control or choice because the concept of "me" and "you" don't exist (except in the mind).
So, the answer to the question "do we have control" is paradoxical:
we 'do' and we 'do not' have control...
However, while we are still operating on the level of having a sense of self (ego), it is vital that we proactively work to step up and take responsibility for our destiny.
How to Fulfill Your Destiny
As long as you are consciously seeking to learn, grow, and spiritually evolve, you are fulfilling your destiny.
However, if you're wanting to achieve your highest potential, you might benefit from the following tips:
Develop self-understanding
There are so many free resources out there (including this website) which can help you understand who you are better.
Our free tests section is a great place to start.
Find out what you're passionate about
What sets your soul on fire?
What excites and thrills you?
What do you admire and deeply enjoy doing?
Make sure you keep doing whatever fulfills you.
Surround yourself with supportive people who inspire you
Critics and judgmental people often trigger huge amounts of self-doubt within us.
Sometimes we actually listen to these unsupportive people who tell us how to,
"live our lives."
resulting in us choosing the wrong life path.
Identify people in your life who are negative influences and remove them or reduce contact.
