Fate, Chance, and the Space Between

Do you believe things happen in your life randomly, by chance and that you have no
control over your lot in life, over events, circumstances, and relationships in your life.
Or do you believe your fate is not set instead it is created by you. That it is relative and
can be influenced and improved. You can use your mind and heart to change the course
of events. Everything that happens, happens by your own hand and can be altered by
your own doing. We can influence others with our good hearts, deeds and actions, in
turn changing our own fate as well as the fate of others.

Or maybe you feel some things are changeable and others are not changeable? A
hybrid of the two beliefs.

The following story explains how multi causal factors can happen which alters the
trajectory and potential of a person or other living things.

A person may plant a melon seed with intent for it to become a mature melon but that
does not insure that it will happen. Even if the person provides for the basic needs such
as ensuring water to the plant, along with giving it fertilizer and sunlight. Perhaps a child
is playing and inadvertently steps on the melon plant. The melon never develops further,
and despite their best efforts the person is still empty handed when all is said and done.

Some may say those that survive and live come from a hardy stock and agree with
Darwin that it is survival of the fittest in this world. Those who can adapt to
circumstances faster have a better chance of living and reproducing.

There are many factors at play that create every event in our lives. Or do not create
what we are wanting. Success vs failure in our lives depends upon factors such as fate,
destiny, diligence, study, self cultivation, chi (energy or life force), luck, education, good
deeds and actions. Along with Biological Inheritance, Past-life Karma, One’s Name, and
One’s Appearance. This is not an exhaustive list.

One of my favourite parables explaining this concept further is

The Chinese Farmer Story

There was a Chinese farmer whose horse ran away. All of his neighbors say “This is
most unfortunate.” The farmer said, “Maybe.”

The next day the horse came back bringing seven wild horses with it, and everybody
said, “Oh, isn’t that lucky.” The farmer again said, “Maybe.”

The following day his son tried to break one of the horses, and while riding it, he was
thrown and broke his leg. The neighbors then said, “That’s too bad,” and the farmer
responded, “Maybe.”

The next day the conscription officers came around to conscript people into the army,
and they rejected his son because he had a broken leg. Again all the neighbors said,
“Isn’t that great!” Again, the farmer said, “Maybe.”

It’s really impossible to tell whether anything that happens is good or bad — because
you never know what will be the consequence of the misfortune; or, you never know

what will be the consequences of good fortune.

— Alan Watts

This story illustrates that we can't judge events as purely "good" or "bad" because
circumstances and life's events are interconnected and a complex process. There are
multiple causes to every outcome, both good and bad. Labeling things as good or bad
prematurely limits our understanding of their full consequences, and a major life lesson
to learn is having acceptance of life's flow and what it brings into your life.