What is my Destiny?

Several years ago the movie, Forrest Gump was applauded by those who watched Forrest’s determination. Several lines from that movie stood out to me. Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get. The second line that resonated with me was when Forrest asked his mother, along the lines of What is my destiny Mama? Both these lines rang true to me. I felt like I had been given a box full of dark chocolate, bitter to my taste and that my destiny was fading into a dark comedy of errors. I have since discovered that I was blind and could not see.

Helen Keller summed up my plight so accurately, “When one door closes, another opens. But we often look so regretfully upon the closed door that we don’t see the one that has opened for us.”

I was so focused on what I wanted and expected to happen, that I could not see what was happening. But it was not time. I still had to learn the lessons my journey would reveal. Although this was a hard lesson to learn, my training in the martial arts opened my eyes. I began to see that outcomes were not as important as the journey. Martial arts training became so much more than obtaining a brown or black belt. I have learned that becoming fully present in the moment equips me to empty my mind of expectation. This discipline helps me to focus my energy and thus develop my own jeet kune do.

I have learned that life does not have to look different than it does. My destiny is yet to be revealed. I do not need to build a legacy. My life paints, as it were with a brush each day and that is good enough. Courage helps me to be willing to learn the next lesson and to keep painting.

Courage

Over the years, I have encountered circumstances that resulted in my being disappointed. When I experienced these letdowns, I often found myself frustrated. When I began practicing rigorous honesty, I found a common reason for being disillusioned. I had placed unrealistic expectations on God, other people, and myself. These disappointments developed because I had become emotionally invested in certain outcomes.

When I find myself emotionally invested in specific outcomes, the sting of sadness looms longer. On the other hand, if I am willing to let go of the specific outcomes, then I can learn from whatever results from the footwork that I put forth in life. Through adopting this perspective, I can look beyond any disappointment and in the process, gain courage. I have found that this attitude keeps me from feeling victimized by life, when it does not look, as I want.

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