Introduction
Every person has a set of beliefs in life that determines their actions and decisions. These beliefs are either constructive or destructive depending on the effect they have on the believer’s outlook on life and the world. People develop beliefs from many sources. For instance, many people take up values that are instilled in them by their parents and guardians who act as role models and mentors. However, as they grow and develop their mental faculties, they start doubting and reviewing certain beliefs. Their life experiences, friends, and exposure to reality are some of the factors that contribute to such shifts in belief and attitude towards diverse occurrences in life.
Change in one’s belief system affects every aspect of life because the process of developing new viewpoints and turning them into convictions is critical. The conviction that destiny is determined by external factors is a common belief that many people hold. In my childhood, I believed that external forces such as society, the environment, family background, and the economy are the determinants of one’s destiny. However, different life experiences disabused me of that viewpoint later in life. Currently, I accept as true that destiny is predominantly determined by internal factors such as personal responsibility, discipline, grit, will, self-control, purpose, and persistence.
Main body
My perspective changed when I joined a high school where students are expected to be more responsible and accountable. Working on assignments, managing finances, finding passions and hobbies, creating relationships, resisting peer pressure, and managing time are critical factors that determine success in high school. I realized that external factors such as rules, school policies, teachers, and peer pressure had little influence on my life.
Factors such as self-control, discipline, focus, and willingness to work hard had a greater effect on my life. The view that destiny is determined by external factors was largely due to a lack of experience and knowledge regarding the recurrent dynamics of life. As a child, I had no means of testing the validity of the belief because my parents provided for all my needs. However, reality dawned on me after joining high school.
I had to start taking care of myself because of the transition from childhood to adulthood. For instance, I had to learn how to manage money and time well. The economy and rate of unemployment had little effect on my financial situation because it was primarily dependent on how well I spent money, the willingness to create a spending plan, and the readiness to prioritize my needs. On the other hand, academic performance was not determined by school policies and regulations but by the willingness and readiness to work hard in order to achieve my goals.
In high school, success is primarily determined by the individual rather than the effect of external influences on the individual. I learned this after several experiences that included failed friendships, poor academic performance, huge debts, poor health outcomes, and bad influence from peers. Initially, I thought that these outcomes resulted from factors such as inflexible school schedules, ineffective regulations and rules, inadequate time, bad friends, and harsh economic times. However, after receiving several warnings from the school’s management, I realized that change was inevitable.
The change involved a shift in the belief that external factors were responsible for my predicament. I was the main cause of the numerous failures and therefore changing my beliefs was the most potent route to achieving success. I had the freedom to choose friends and decide how to spend time and money. I started budgeting, scheduling time, and choosing friends wisely. These changes had exceptional outcomes that proved that internal factors were the main determinants of one’s destiny in life.
Conclusion
Stopping to think that destiny is determined by external factors has affected how I think about my other beliefs and ideologies. I have developed a habit of reviewing them often in order to determine their implication on my daily life. In addition, the experience has ameliorated my rationality because of the need to form personal opinions and convictions on different matters. Many of the ideas that I hold were picked up in childhood through observation and instruction. However, I have come to realize that most of them are limiting and narrow with regard to their ability to expand my thinking and outlook on life.
Ceasing to embrace that conviction has enabled me to develop new values that include personal responsibility, accountability, patience, determination, and purpose. These values affect the social, financial, psychological, and spiritual aspects of my life. In order to achieve one’s dreams, it is important to be deliberate, focused, and persistent. External factors play a role in determining one’s destiny. However, the aforementioned internal factors play the greatest role.
Embracing the belief that destiny is determined by external factors absolves individuals from personal responsibility and accountability because human beings have little or no influence on such factors. I have learned to deal with external factors through the sound application of proper principles in order to ensure that such realities do not compromise the attainment of my goals.