Choices v.s. Destiny

Choices v.s. Destiny

I could not sleep last night.

I don’t have insomnia, but the new pillow someone swapped my old pillow with was horribly unbearable – leaving me with a 2-inch gap between my shoulder and the bed, which was highly unusual for my stiff, short neck.

Somewhere in the midst of night and dawn, in between a state of consciousness and drunken-like slumber, my mind started to wander. The short yet intense journey I went through, the bittersweet memories, places, people, and unforgettable paths I took and left behind. All which lead me to this place, to this very hour.

Then the unavoidable argument of all time: Life, Choices and Destiny.

For many ten-fold of centuries humankind have been battling their brain cells out of their skulls. Unenduring war of the Left and Right; of Rational and Emotional; of Realism and Spiritualism.

Whereas the Buddhist claims that current life is an outcome of past decisions, Christians believe that each individual has a pre-destined life ahead of them, one of God’s own plan, carefully stitched even before they were conceived.

Like many constant thinkers, I struggle picking side between this mind tug-of-war. Embracing Destiny would be of a great comfort, knowing that somehow, somewhere, some-what scenario would unravel itself and we would know that it is “God’s Plan” for us to discover that certain task. However, a more liberating and tempting path is of the Rational, of the free will, of being able to choose independently and being equally rewarded or punished for our choices in life. For our life.

Does this mean that Nguyen’s ripe life has been predestined to be ended in Singapore’s knot? Or did Mother Teresa consciously decide to leave her civilised life behind to live for other’s well-being?

I like to think that maybe, it’s a little bit of both.
Maybe, it's just like the saying that goes,

“we can only try to do our hardest until Destiny reveals itself”

JK