Very often not getting your dream gives you your destiny. – Tony Robbins and here
This statue of Alexander is from Khujand, Tajikistan. It was founded at the eastern limit of his empire, on what would later become the Northern Silk Road.
What does that mean?
Well, think about it. How often do you get that of which you dream? If you have my luck, almost never. But according to this quote, that’s a good thing. If you get your dream, then what? What is the next step after you actually get there? Have you ever given that much consideration?
To me, it’s like climbing a mountain. OK, did that, now what? I gotta climb back down as well? Oh… Instead of actually getting your dream, you often fall short, and often fall into something unexpected. Sometimes it advances the dream, other times it awakens a new one. But this new opportunity leads you a step closer to your destiny.
Don’t think for a moment that I’m denigrating anyone’s dream, or dreams in general. They are powerful motivators, both for yourself and for others who share the dream. But I consider the dream as a tool, a method, a path, not a destination. You must walk the path to find your way to your destiny. You must use the new tool or the new method to build your destiny.
Why is your destiny important?
I’m not talking about a cheesy line from a movie, but your true life’s purpose. What is it? I don’t know. I believe even mine is evolving, and that what I am doing now is another preparatory stage. It’s a path I am working my way along, trying to stay on it as it branches and turns.
Our destiny is our chance to break out of a meaningless existence and make a difference in the world. Some (like myself) often point to Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr, and Mohandas Gandhi as people who fulfilled their destiny, and changed the course human race. While not everyone plays at that level, I believe that all destinies are crucial.
None of the great people who changed history were formed without help from others. Someone had a destiny that helped shape the hearts and minds of the great people. Without these people fulfilling their destinies as teachers and mentors, the great people would never have been able to find and fulfill their destinies.
Where can I apply this in my life?
Nearly everyone who has had a history class knows who Alexander the Great was. But few know that he was tutored by Aristotle, among others. Would Alexander have been as Great, would he have been the same at governing without the influence of Aristotle? Would Aristotle have been such a good a tutor if he hadn’t learned from Plato, who had in his turn learned from Socrates?
And even then, I imagine that if you could ask Alexander what his dream was, it would probably have been something like “conquer the known world.” Well, he did a pretty good job of that, but I believe in his attempt to fulfill his dream, he actually fulfilled his destiny, by spreading language, culture, knowledge and a system of governance across that portion of the world.
Even today, cities founded by him, and named for him, still exist. The countries he conquered fell, and were conquered again and again and again. Even today, borders change, be it through treaty or war. So he failed in his dream. But he succeeded in his destiny. At least that’s how I see it.
My dream when I was younger was have enough money to be a wealthy recluse. I would have books, computers, TV’s and no neighbors. I’d never have gotten married, and never had kids. Looking back, I’m really glad I didn’t get that dream. Instead, I’m a dad and a husband, and have no time to read or watch TV, and rarely get time to play with my computers just for fun.
I also hated writing and wanted a job where I wouldn’t have to write. When I started in Engineering, there was a job called “tech writer” and they did all the writing for us. They could actually spell words and could even get complete sentences on paper. It was wonderful and amazing. Now I write a blog. Every day. Eight to nine hundred words. Dream: fail. Destiny: unlocked and in progress.
Take a moment and consider where your life is at, and the twisting path you took to get to where you are. How many times did your dream change, as you found yourself in a new place, facing new opportunities? Did you come up with new dreams as your old dream was supplanted by the next stage of your destiny?
What has it been like? Have you embraced the changes, or fought against them? How did things change for you when you embraced them? As everyone has different dreams, and their own unique destiny, it’s going to be up to you to work out what it is, and how you will get there.
I would urge you to keep an open mind, and allow for the possibility that something wonderful may happen at any moment that will truly open up a new part of your life. It might take a little convincing to actually walk the new path, but your eyes will be opened to the new possibility.
Sometimes, you might not be ready for the next step. It took me until my mid-thirties before I was ready to start a family. Once I was, things started to change. Having kids ignited my desire to teach and pass on my knowledge. That step prepared me for what I am doing now.
What comes next? I have no idea. Odds are it will seem as bizarre as each of the previous changes did at the time. And eventually, it will make a little more sense. Or at least that’s how it’s happened so far, and what I hope will continue into the future. Has it been that way for you?
Are you willing to take the next step towards your destiny? I hope so, for I firmly believe we all have something to contribute.
From: Twitter, @matthewprewett
confirmed at : Tony’s twitter feed, where he retweeted it 16 Oct 2012
Photo by babasteve
