Destiny: does it exist?

Photo credits: Flickr

I have been thinking about the future a lot lately because it just struck me that I only have two more years left till I graduate and have my degree, then with which I will have to make the most out of my life. Other things have started crossing my mind like marriage, relationships, wealth, (even turning 20 years old this year!), and other societal topics that seem to be leading me into sleepless nights every once in a while. Is there something already laid out for us? A future that we don't know of?

Photo credits: Multiply

All these small questions lead to one major question: Is destiny real?

Personally, I believe in destiny and the quote:

"Everything Happens for a Reason"

This is probably also because I am a religious person who believes in ceremonies and obviously God. But if we look at things with a more scientific approach, maybe we can gather evidence to justify our conclusions about whether or not fate is realistic or not.

To begin, we must not forget that consequences are a direct result of action. For example, if a person steals, they will end up in jail and be regarded as a criminal. This is not something that was "destined", but rather it is a learning phase of their life that will lead them to bigger and better things in the future. Similarly, if a person studies then they will get good grades. A person does not automatically become blessed with As or A+s, rather they work hard for it.
The conclusion here is that even though destiny might exist, all situations cannot be blamed on our fate as most people believe. In order to reach those positive things written in your destiny, you are supposed to work towards it, to achieve it faster instead of waiting for some miracle to happen in your life.

Also, some people deem to believe that others are more blessed than them because of 'destiny' again. This is a misconception that exists in our society vastly because people are lazy and give up very easily. While a slacker was probably playing video games, it is possible that the successful person was applying for jobs and placing themselves out in the world.

On the whole, destiny is commonly used as a mask for people's shortcomings. They must instead learn to take it as a climbing ladder and believe that if they are going through a bad phase, it is for some reason, and that they must try recovering and reining back on their life in order to gain the success that is held for them in the future.