Following Your Destiny

I‘ve always considered destinies to be unique to the individual. So yes, I do believe that we humans all have our own destinies to find and fulfill. But what if our pathways all start the same?

The Alchemist, a book about finding and following your destiny, taught me all that I know. I’ll sum it up for you. When the inner voice inside your head keeps coming back to the same wants and desires, you need to listen. Of course, I don’t mean wanting a new car or wishing for a house in the Maldives. I mean, when this recurring thought to try your hand at baking keeps coming up. Or when you‘ve always wanted to start traveling. These feelings aren’t mistakes; it’s your heart begging you to take the first steps. It’s your future self leaving crumbs. Having a desire to become a baker or traveler doesn’t necessarily mean that your destiny is to open a pastry shop or travel the world indefinitely. That inner voice knows more about you and the future than your current self. Maybe baking will teach you patience and consistency, helping you to manage your next chapter. Maybe that first trip will simply introduce you to someone vital to your journey. The universe works in funny ways.

The first and most crucial step in this journey is getting to know that inner voice better. It’s not always an easy task with so many passing thoughts in a day, but we can build a quieter mind. Working towards a regulated nervous system is immensely beneficial in this journey. As you live your life and do just that, the decision to listen and follow it will become easier. Small fleeting cravings will not have the same pull or voice as the true desires of your heart. This takes time, practice, and patience.

Unfortunately, there is a barrier in the way of the next step- asking the wrong questions and focusing on the wrong things. Yes, I want to learn how to speak Spanish, but why? Where will this take me? What will I gain? Of course I love traveling, but what will become of my future? How will I make a living? These questions are irrelevant. When in pursuit of my destiny, I can only find peace in the present moment. Naturally, I can and will envision what the future should look like, but the truth that we all know and love is, shit happens. No one knows what tomorrow or two years will look like, so be present today. The Alchemist teaches that “the reward for our work is not what we get but who we become.” Take that in for a minute. I couldn’t image a better way to put it. When I quit my job to start traveling, the question I would get a lot is “what after?” I would think and think and think, then answer, “I’ll get a new job I guess.” It wasn’t until after reading this book that I could confidently change my answer. I don’t care what comes after!!! I care WHO comes after!! I went on this journey in pursuit of my heart and her precious desires. I don’t need to have the answers as to what it will lead to. The beauty is in the journey, not the destination. THE BEAUTY IS IN WHO I CAN BECOME!!!! I’m simply hoping through this pursuit, I can grow into a healthier happier person who understands more about herself. I think that is the essential next step on the path towards our destiny. Living in the present moment. To enjoy being while becoming. If I need to ask a question, let me wonder who I am evolving into. The universe is constantly molding us into the humans we are meant to be. We have the choice to resist, question and scold this process, or we can enjoy it and recognize the gratitude we owe.

I long for the answers, but maybe I don’t need them. Maybe destiny is really just about living my life day by day, doing the things I can to learn more about myself and my heart. Following that inner voice when it calls to me. When I become the most authentic joyful version of myself, maybe the universe will give me answers I didn’t even have the question for.

Following your heart is synonymous to finding your destiny. We all have the same first two steps, where we go from there is the sweet mystery.