Destiny !
Thornton Wilder wrote a play entitled Nascuntur Poetae - “The Birth of a Poet”. In the story, the soul of the poet waits in heaven before his birth, ready to go down to earth
As he waits he's spoken to by an angel, who shows him a glimpse into his future - a kind of preview of his coming life. It will be a life of potent contrasts - one encompassing great joy and beauty, but also suffering and loss ; a life that will know honors and acclaim, but also tragedy. When the angels has shown him all this he asks, to paraphrase, “ having seen this hard task, are you willing to live this life ?” and the poet answers : “Yes !”
Like the poet, we each have some intention we bring into the world - something we've committed ourselves to do, some place and meaning we’ll have in the lives of others. To people of religious inclination, to commit to this intention and live it fully might be seen as the will of God for us.
Nevertheless, our lives are complex, and may not move evenly or directly to their goals. A destiny may unfold in clear realizations, strong decisions ; purposeful actions ; or in a far less certain and transparent way. Challenges that may accompany our biographies include :
- Unclarity as to what to do with or lives - how to deal with some important situation, or how to reach some important goals we set for ourselves.
- Difficulty bearing or dealing with strong feelings. Anger, sorrow or fear may be themes we clearly see as difficult in our lives ; but excitement and exuberance in moments of strength or success can also lead us into mistakes - even serious ones.
- Difficulties to understand situations we find ourselves in ; or find meaning in life overall. A seemingly happy and easy destiny may be unsatisfying ; and the most painful be a triumph, depending on our ability to see meaning and purpose in it.
Destiny is a mostly unrecognized, but powerful force in human life. It may arise in us as inner pictures, almost in the sense of memories ; or come towards us from the surrounding world. Or our feet may simply carry us to a certain place or country, without our truly understanding why. We meet people, things happen : and from here any number of events unfold.
Our life's inner intention and destiny stay with us powerfully, as guiding stars to our life, even though we fail to notice them - or even fight against them for long periods of time. To not discern and take hold of some part of our destiny may be a factor in illness, either of the body or soul. To close the circle of intentions we brought into the world, however, and live them fully, can be a source of healing and strength.
What tasks and purposes have you come into the world to fulfill ? How can you better recognize them ? What practical steps might be needed, in order to achieve them ? At the link below, I’ll introduce biography work. In the future I’ll offer a series of exercises to strengthen awareness of our life's purposes and destiny, and discern possible next steps. Could this be helpful to your life ? Explore this article, and consider the possibility.
Jeff Smith RN (Retired)
Next in series : Biography Work
Thornton Wilder wrote a play entitled Nascuntur Poetae - “The Birth of a Poet”. In the story, the soul of the poet waits in heaven before his birth, ready to go down to earth
As he waits he's spoken to by an angel, who shows him a glimpse into his future - a kind of preview of his coming life. It will be a life of potent contrasts - one encompassing great joy and beauty, but also suffering and loss ; a life that will know honors and acclaim, but also tragedy. When the angels has shown him all this he asks, to paraphrase, “ having seen this hard task, are you willing to live this life ?” and the poet answers : “Yes !”
Like the poet, we each have some intention we bring into the world - something we've committed ourselves to do, some place and meaning we’ll have in the lives of others. To people of religious inclination, to commit to this intention and live it fully might be seen as the will of God for us.
Nevertheless, our lives are complex, and may not move evenly or directly to their goals. A destiny may unfold in clear realizations, strong decisions ; purposeful actions ; or in a far less certain and transparent way. Challenges that may accompany our biographies include :
- Unclarity as to what to do with or lives - how to deal with some important situation, or how to reach some important goals we set for ourselves.
- Difficulty bearing or dealing with strong feelings. Anger, sorrow or fear may be themes we clearly see as difficult in our lives ; but excitement and exuberance in moments of strength or success can also lead us into mistakes - even serious ones.
- Difficulties to understand situations we find ourselves in ; or find meaning in life overall. A seemingly happy and easy destiny may be unsatisfying ; and the most painful be a triumph, depending on our ability to see meaning and purpose in it.
Destiny is a mostly unrecognized, but powerful force in human life. It may arise in us as inner pictures, almost in the sense of memories ; or come towards us from the surrounding world. Or our feet may simply carry us to a certain place or country, without our truly understanding why. We meet people, things happen : and from here any number of events unfold.
Our life's inner intention and destiny stay with us powerfully, as guiding stars to our life, even though we fail to notice them - or even fight against them for long periods of time. To not discern and take hold of some part of our destiny may be a factor in illness, either of the body or soul. To close the circle of intentions we brought into the world, however, and live them fully, can be a source of healing and strength.
What tasks and purposes have you come into the world to fulfill ? How can you better recognize them ? What practical steps might be needed, in order to achieve them ? At the link below, I’ll introduce biography work. In the future I’ll offer a series of exercises to strengthen awareness of our life's purposes and destiny, and discern possible next steps. Could this be helpful to your life ? Explore this article, and consider the possibility.
Jeff Smith RN (Retired)
Next in series : Biography Work