By Marjorie Young

One of this column’s readers, ‘bent pros’ wrote in the following question: “Some people fear knowing their future. Do you think being told what lies in store is a hindrance or a help?”

That’s a fascinating topic…and a complex one. It leads inevitably to a related line of inquiry – is our path preordained? Is the future indeed fated or flexible?

My own belief is that our fortunes overwhelmingly rest in our own hands. Though ‘fate’ may land us in a given situation, we always possess freedom of action within that sphere. And so our lives are, to a great extent, our own creations. Will we produce a ‘masterpiece’ or ‘mayhem’? Our ‘destinies’ are malleable…we shape them at each crossroads we encounter and every direction we embrace.

To return to the original question, knowing what may lie before us can inspire us to alter our path. For example, if you believed you were ‘destined’ to live in Paris, it might encourage you to study French, look into job opportunities there…in other words, to make it happen! If you are told that you’ll die of cancer at age fifty, you could give up smoking, adopt a healthier lifestyle, and likely prevent that gloomy outcome from materializing. The saying ‘forewarned is forearmed’ certainly applies!

A truly inspirational book is “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Victor Frankl. In his memoir, Frankl describes his time in a concentration camp. Clearly, in such a hideous setting, one loses everything – friends, family, possessions, privacy, all the basic necessities of existence. Yet, he points out even in that hellish framework, one encountered a wide variation of human behavior. Some inmates became positively angelic, sacrificing to keep others alive. Some grew vicious, caring for nothing but their own survival. And there was every shade of behavior in between those two extremes to be found. In other words, the one thing the enemy couldn’t rob from any individual was their chosen reaction to their circumstances. And so, the suffering inmates were nonetheless able to exert their own essence into that living nightmare.

The concept of fate is often used as a justification for ‘giving up'. “I was fated to meet this abusive person, and so must stay with him no matter what the cost!” Obviously, I’d disagree. If one acquires discernment, one can often avoid unpleasant situations/partners, etc. But if you are still drawn into a negative circumstance, the object would then be to examine one’s actions - to put an end to that dark direction and create something better - something positive! To learn and grow!

In my fantasy/adventure series, The Boy with Golden Eyes, I explore the concept of ‘fate vs. free will’ time and again. When we comprehend our potential to design our own reality, we discover ‘there are no mistakes, only opportunities to learn!” And that we may continue to change or challenge our ‘destiny’ with every breath we take.

Please send your questions/comments to: ballardpsychic@gmail.com

Read Marjorie's previous columns, here.