By Shawn McAndrew
Fate is defined as a predetermined course of events, whether in general (i.e., a pandemic) or individually (i.e., meeting the person who led me to the Process). Whether you believe in fate or not, events outside of our control are an inevitable part of life. While we may never truly know the predetermined nature of life, the idea of fate can help in accepting what is. The greatest challenge may be what to do with it when it appears.
Owning Our Fate
Fate surrounds us, and yet we still have free-will choice in how we respond – a paradox worth exploring. In the Process we use the symbolism of a Left Road/Right Road map to illustrate the fickle nature of life (fated moments, if you will), and how we have choice in the ways we meet it.
Fate has showed up in various iterations this year, giving us many opportunities to examine and embrace it. The key here is how we act/react when we meet these curve balls. I was on the treadmill of life last March when the earth erupted with a pandemic. Needless to say, that “treadmill” is nowhere to be found right now.
Back to Basics
Almost everything that was stable in my life came to a grinding halt. My Dark Side saw an opportunity to rush in and try to control my life. I let it – for a few weeks. Then I got back to basics: Process tools and practices, listening to daily Quad Checks on Instagram, writing appreciations and gratitudes, recycling patterns that were coming up, diving in to why I was reacting the way I was. Signing up for a few Hoffman virtual courses, and using the Cycle of Transformation over a period of days and weeks, I was able to get back to center, reconnect to my spirit, and understand what was happening in me and address it.
I’m not perfect. I still have days that are challenging. And I have my tools that I can use to move out of the darkness and into the light. We cannot avoid fate, but we can look it in the eye and use it to grow. Each time we have a positive outcome from any situation (especially when using Hoffman tools), we build resilience and new neural pathways. We have a new way of being at the ready the next time that old fickle fate shows up.