What Is YOUR Destiny?

Have you ever wondered to yourself or out loud...what am I supposed to be doing with my life?  What was I created to do?  Where am I supposed to be?  Why am I still here?  You may not admittedly say you've asked these questions or they may have been worded differently, but yes, these feelings/questions are all relevant to life.

From the time we're born most parents/caregivers have goals set for us.  We are told that we will go to school, make good grades, go to college, have a great career, makes lots of money and be able to take care of ourselves (and perhaps them when they aren't able to care for themselves).  Not only do they set these goals for us as we grow, they instill (or brainwash) the same "dreams" within us.  As we age, we believe their dream is what we really want out of life.  But what happens when we decide differently?  I'll tell you what I believe happens...I believe we disappoint our parents or caregivers simply because THEY had our lives all planned out.  Sure they want what's best for us or what they think is best for us.  I have even found myself doing this with my own child.  I have told her, "You need to go to school and make good grades so that when you grow up, you can go to college and make something out of your life and you won't have to depend on anyone to take care of you.  You will be able to take care of your family the way you want to take care of them."  

Like most parents, I too want what I think is best for my child.  Yes, a good education is the key to success but what about the ones that didn't have a higher education and made millions and successful careers without it?  Who am I or better yet, who are WE as adults to force a common belief onto the generation coming up behind us?  Before my generation came along, yes, it was pretty much guaranteed that if one went to college one would have a lot better chance at a career in the field in which one studied in.  Here I am, sitting on a college degree that I can do absolutely nothing with unless I further my studies in the field.  Not to mention the thousands of dollars I owe back in student loans!  It's really unfortunate that so many people around my age are rocking in the same boat.

No one told us about that grand disbursement check that we went running to the mall with.  No one told us, "Hey, you're going to get that extra money but what you should do is go ahead and give it back so that will be less that you owe AFTER you get your degree."  No one told us the pitfalls that came along with that "free money"!  Now, 15 years later interest has set in, I cannot work in the field that I went to school for to begin with and guess what, I more than likely won't go back to school to further my education in the field because that is more money that I'd owe back to Uncle Sam and who's to say that I land that career of a lifetime?

I guess what the purpose of this blog entry is to say, let's continue to encourage our youth and steer them out of the path of danger but let's also let them explore and make up their own minds to do what they want to do in life.  Let them have a chance to tell us what they think would be the right path whether it is right or left.  Let's allow our children to grow up to be thinkers and innovators.  Let's provoke different thought patterns instead of biased ones. God has given everyone on this earth a purpose in life let's not try to do His job for him by telling our babies what they should do with lives.

My daughter who will very soon be nine is a very talented little girl.  She gets along with most people, never meets a stranger, very giving and she's just an all around good person.  Now don't get me twisted, this little girl can worry the horns off a billy goat but she means well!  She has a natural gift to draw people near her.  I love that spirit about her and I would love to say, "She got it from her mama!" but that is NOT the case.  She got that from the heavenly Father.  Who am I to tell her that she needs to play her guitar for a living?  Who am I to tell her that she needs to continue gymnastics because I think she's good?  Who am I to tell her that she needs to be a swimmer because she's really good at swimming?  Sure I want her to do those things but it is not my decision to make.  Her life was written long before she was born and to try to steer her along a path that is not hers is not the job for me.

So I ask, what IS your destiny?  What are you supposed to be doing in life?  Are you doing it?  Did you listen to yourself or a higher being about what it is you should be doing.  Take some time to yourself and speak to Him....He will tell you exactly what you need to be doing with your life.  Whether it be teaching or being taught, the answer to this is already within you...you just need to seek it out for yourself.  Don't continue to do something you don't want to do in order to please someone else.  As T.I.  sang, "You gotta live your life!"  YOUR destiny is yours to write.