***Destiny vs. Choice

The following excerpt is taken from Chapter 4: Born and Made of the book Passion Pays: How to make a living from your passions… and change the world too, by Genevieve de Lacaze. The book features 30 men and women like you as real-life exemplars. Browse the Contents, read more excerpts or download for FREE the first 3 chapters at www.passionpaysbook.com Million-dollar question: when it comes to living our passion, is it our destiny to do so or is it our choice? What’s undeniable is that we constantly make choices and that we are infinite decision makers. What’s arguable is whether the conditions and circumstances we are in to make those choices are predestined. I leave that last one open; because, really, the answer is not that important. You can make up your own mind about free will, determinism, libertarianism or compatibilism. One way or another, we are where we are and all that matters is where we go next. Every moment offers us that choice. Right now, you could choose to flex your wrist, write to one person about how much you love this book or quit your boring job. Small choices. Big choices. Still choices. “Wherever you are right now is where you're supposed to be. Be comfortable with that.” -Manjit Thandi When I think of all my interviewees and reflect on their success, I can’t help but wonder: is it their destiny unfolding? Then I delve into their stories, the choices they’ve made and the attitudes they held and I can’t help but appreciate that what brought them to living their passion is a series of choices; some more conscious than others but choices nonetheless. In fact, at one pivotal moment, they chose to be themselves and at that same moment, they felt that they had no choice but to be themselves. “I just feel that's what I want to do and sometimes I think I'm a bit crazy! - Phyllis SantaMaria, feels one way and thinks another. Let me explain. All interviewees know the truth about passion, the truth about work and the illusions of the world we live in. In other words, they know who they really are. They may describe it differently but they are aware of the heart-rooted energy flowing through their being and feel compelled to express it. Even though they all encounter blocks and obstacles, they choose to let their heart-rooted ener- gy flow. Your destiny is your hands. Your destiny begins with your choice to let it begin, unfolds with your choice to let it unfold and ends with? ... your choice to let it end, you got it. “There's a point when you absolutely have to choose and many people are afraid of choosing; for fear of the consequences, or for fear of being disappointed, that's a big one, and they never really choose. As soon as you choose, liter- ally something happens in the Universe and at that point, when you choose it, you develop a sense of knowing but nothing happens until you choose.” - Nanice Ellis, who wrote a book about the power of choice. “I saw what I qualified as suffering because then I thought "there is a reason for me to be here." […] My logical side says it was a course of events, my spiritual side says there's a reason why I’m here. How did I get here, why did I get here? My logical side is easier: how I got here and what do I need to do next? I am pragmatic and tenacious so I know what I have to do to achieve something and I won't let go: that's really how I got here.” - Brian Shaad, answering my questions about whether he feels he was guided or whether what he does was meant to be. What kind of destiny comes with either the unfeasibility to fulfil it or the inability to relish it? The beauty of our relative world is in the contrasts, the options, the possibilities and the desire for change. When we choose, we exert our power and responsibility for our lives. Just like the interviewees and everyone else on this planet living their passion, if this is what you also want, choose the path where you have the most passion because then you can never really blame yourself for making the wrong choices. Realising your destiny means getting ready for the journey, grabbing the wheel with pure intent and taking decisive action. You will need drive, self-control, discipline, self-reliance and determination to walk your true path and advance your soul's will. Is that power and responsibility coming with their evil partner called burden? It may seem overwhelming to realise that as we make choices all the time and want them to lead us where we want to go, an awful lot can go “wrong”. I know it would make your life easier if I revealed to you that yes, my conclusions were that all interviewees were destined to live their passion. So as far as you are conce ed, no effort would be necessary; you would just have to obey and accept your fate. That would let you off the hook, wherever you are right now and wherever you feel you are headed; believing that everything is already decided for you: no responsibility, no tough choices, whatever. Right? Sorry, if you want a different answer, you will have to ask a different person. “With hindsight, everything I’ve done, I've had the choice to try it or not. And the easy road was to not do anything.” - Brian Shaad What I am telling you is very powerful, if you only allow yourself to see it: you always have a choice. This only seems overwhelming when making a decision only involves the mind, as the mind has to process, connect and separate countless data. If you can develop heart intelligence, you can let go of having to process data and let go of the illusion that your choice is overwhelmingly important. In the next chapter I will go in detail about heart intelligence, which accesses the needed help from destiny in the form of “luck”. See what the interviewees had to say about the luck factor in the Interviewees digest Revealed: What really makes them lucky in Passion Pays Stories. We’ll go through the stages of manifestation in chapter 11. For now, I just want to put your mind at ease: you’re not alone.