Qismah

Fate is destiny, an inevitable course of events.

Destiny refers to a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. It is a concept based on the belief that there is a fixed natural order to the universe.

Destiny may be seen either as a fixed sequence of events that is inevitable and unchangeable, or that individuals choose their own destiny by choosing different paths throughout their life.

Destiny versus Fate

Although the words are used interchangeably in many cases, fate and destiny can be distinguished. Modern usage defines fate as a power or agency that predetermines and orders the course of events. Fate defines events as ordered or "inevitable". Fate is used in regard to the finality of events as they have worked themselves out; and that same sense of finality, projected into the future to become the inevitability of events as they will work themselves out, is Destiny.

One word derivative of "fate" is "fatality", another "fatalism". Fate implies no choice, and ends fatally, with a death. Fate is an outcome determined by an outside agency acting upon a person or entity; but with destiny the entity is participating in achieving an outcome that is directly related to itself. Participation happens willfully.

Used in the past tense, "destiny" and "fate" are both more interchangeable, both imply "one's lot" or fortunes, and include the sum of events leading up to a currently achieved outcome (e.g. "it was her destiny to be leader" and "it was her fate to be leader").

Fate can involve things which are bound within and subject to larger networks. A set of mathematical functions arranged in a grid and interacting in defined ways is Fate-like. Likewise the individual statues in a larger work of counterpoint art are aesthetically Fated within the work. In each case Fate is external to every individual component, but integral to the network. Every component acts as Fate for every other component. The entire world can be seen as existing within such a network, a kind of mythical spiderweb controlled by unseen forces.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you to Wikipedia.....(see above)

Okay so I wanted to describe the difference between fate and destiny, but Wikipedia described it far better than I could have so please read the above. What I want to discuss now is The Law of Attraction.The Law of Attraction states that "thoughts become things" and that "whatever you can conceive you can achieve." In other words, just by simply believing that I am a millionaire or that I will be invited to Daniel Radcliffe's birthday party, I will be. Sounds like the dumbest concept or idea ever because it would be impossible, but generally I think it is not. The Law of Attraction says that your thoughts can move people, places, and things, and I would agree with moving places and things, but not people. The idea that I am subject to the every whim and will of someone else's thoughts and vice versa that I control the goings and comings of people is to me null and void. Conceivably it could work when two people have a similar idea that cooperates and completes the other's, but rarely does that happen. However thoughts can bring you just about anything else you could possibly desire if you think it and believe it.

This being the case, I would then like to know who is stronger. Fate, Destiny, or Thought? Fate and Destiny do alright together but once you put Thought power in the mix a sort of paradox is created. Could I conceivably believe myself into be a wealthy landlord but then due to my predetermined destiny, be fated to remain a cobbler? Could I pray and pray and pray and believe and believe and dream of and believe that I would one day find true love, but just as Fate would have it never do? Or could I take my Fate and overcome it (usually by definition of the concept that is impossible) by the power and conscious decision of my own thought and carve out my own destiny (as in destiny being an unfinished process, a blank sheet of paper if you will, only a destiny once it is full, filled, and complete)?

I do not know.

But I would like to know, as my past, present, and future tips on the summit of Fate, Destiny, and Thought.