Difference between Fate and Destiny

The terms fate and destiny are often used interchangeably and often believed to be synonyms, however, there are significant differences. 

They are closely related because they both refer to a future state.  However, fate is the course of events outside a person’s control.  Destiny, on the hand, can be shaped with a person’s choices.  Destiny is something you can actively shape and alter through your choices in life.  Basically, destiny is what you create yourself, while fate is what happens when you fail to create your own destiny.

Fate occurs when you let other people and external circumstance dictate your direction in life.  However, when you choose to take responsibility for your own life, you are actively shaping your destiny instead of leaving your life to fate.  Your destiny unfolds through the active and conscious choices you make every day. 

About Fate

Fate is a predetermined course of events that are inevitable or unavoidable.  It is often associated with the idea of a higher power that shapes the course of events in the future.  This idea proposes a set natural order to the universe that cannot be changed despite what you do.  It implies a lack of control over the course of your life and gives you a sense of submission to your personal circumstances.  This feeling of submission can lead to people not taking responsibility for their lives. 

Because of this lack of control, fate can have negative connotations.  A person may experience misfortune and blame fate as the cause.  However, the problem is that when you leave your life up to fate, you are basically handing over control to other people and outside forces.  

About Destiny

Destiny is a future course of events shaped from choices and decisions made.  Unlike fate, destiny is something that can be actively shaped and altered.  Since destiny is not predetermined, the choices that you make will affect your destiny in life.

Destiny has much more positive connotations than fate.  Destiny is associated with your purpose or direction in life.  It suggests that there is a destination that you are meant to reach, and that your actions can influence the course of events and your ultimate path in life.

When you choose to take responsibility for your life, you take an active role in shaping your destiny instead of leaving your life to fate.  Fulfilling your personal destiny involves consciously developing a stream of self-awareness and connection to your deepest inner self, then growing emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Summary – What’s the Difference Between Fate and Destiny?

Fate is what happens when you do not take responsibility for your life, while destiny is what happens when you commit to personal growth and making a difference in your life and in the lives of others. 

So, are you living out your fate or creating your destiny?

 

“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves.” – William Shakespeare