Serendipity or fate?

When I was young, with all the hubris youth entails, I believed that I was in charge of my destiny. If gods or God existed, he or she was not interested in one little human. I avoided people who thought they knew what God wanted. How could they? Talk about presumptuous.

As I grow older, however, I have become increasingly convinced that there is a fate (whether dictated by the gods, I am not qualified to say). This is not at odds with my original idea, but rather a recognition that our lives take us in ways we would not divine for ourselves, but that can grow out of choices we have made along the way. Being open to the possibilities of what our decisions and those of others have wrought and appreciating them for what they present us is what I would call a state of grace. There are people who spend their lives fighting their fate, railing against the gods for the path upon which they feel they were unfairly placed. Then, there are those who see each twist in the road as an adventure, a new opportunity, and make the most out of it, who take advantage of the opportunities presented. In so doing, they recognize that they cannot control everything, but they can choose how to live their lives along the path--and to keep an eye out for interesting new routes along the way. These are the people I admire and aspire to emulate.

I was reminded of this today when a friend, who I had told about this new page, tried to find it and, due to an error on my part, found a blog with a similar address. I took the opportunity to check it out and found it filled with words that spoke to me, of being open to what life brings you, of appreciating what comes your way and not barring the door to new opportunities and people. It spoke more eloquently than I am here about what I believe to be good and true in life. All I did was make a mistake in a url and I learned something.

Be open to the possibilities. Opportunities and gifts are all around us.