Destiny in Our Own Hand

Once upon a time, there was a general who was leading his army into battle against an enemy ten times the size of his own.

Along the way to the battlefield, the troops stopped by a small temple to pray for victory.

The general held up a coin and told his troops, "I am going to implore the Heaven to help us crush our enemy. If this coin lands with the heads on top, we'll win. If it's tails, we'll lose. Our destiny is in the hands of the Heaven. Let's pray wholeheartedly."

After a short prayer, the general tossed the coin. It landed with the heads on top. The troops were overjoyed and went into the battle with high spirit.

Just as predicted, the smaller army won the battle.

The soldiers were exalted, "It's good to have the Heaven on our side ! No one can change what they have determined."

"Really ?" The general shows them the coin – both sides of it were heads.

The Heaven is not in favor of anyone, no one is more preferred than others. The only help you can receive is from ourselves. One's destiny is not fixed or decided by the Heaven or "Destiny". One's destiny lies within one's own hands. The Law of Cause and Effect reigns supreme - the present is conditioned to a good extent by the past.

The future is uncertain and not fixed - causes and condition from the past and present do influence the future. What we do NOW is of utmost importance. The outcome of a deed or action depends on various factors and conditions.

One of the most important being one's state of mind or attitude, concentration, mindfulness, confidence and other positive qualities of the mind.

Destiny is a matter of choice, not a matter of chance.

"If we thin we can, we can" is certainly a good attitude to cultivate.