Have you ever wondered if there was a difference between fate and just life happening? Do things really happen for a reason, or do we have some control on where our lives end up? If you think about it, I’m sure you can recognize some of those moments that are hard to pass off as happening out of nowhere. You think there almost had to be a divine connection, or even an encounter that brought you to that person, that place, or even that thing that just seems to have happened at the right time.

The allure of such prospects immediately draws us in before we really count the costs of its presence. Then it’s somewhere down the road that you start to think if what just happened was too good to be true. You start second guessing whether or not what seemed to be so great is even something worth dabbling in. Somewhere along the journey you’ve found yourself on the ever-so-timely question of fate arises. It begs the question, is or isn’t it?

I am not so sure I believe in fate, or better yet things falling in perfect alignment at the perfect time in the most perfect way. However, I do think there are people, places, and things that we stumble over that make life a little more pleasant in the season. When making decisions of finality, I think it’s important to not question if it is in fact “fate” or even something that was “meant to be.” Instead, maybe we should consider timing, how we feel, and what other people around us have to say. While something might look right, it might not be what you need right now. We have to understand that every decision we make has the potential to change and affect everything we do. In the moments we question where our lives are headed, we have to trust that the narrow way will lead us in the right direction.

Why is it that we need something “new” to be motivated to change? It’s that new school, or new boyfriend or girlfriend, oh and my personal favorite – a new year. It’s that time where Christmas has come and gone, and now we begrudgingly begin again life’s daily routine of the hustle and bustle. While we grieve at actually having to resume responsibility again, it doesn’t take long to become re-acclimated.

While getting back into the swing of things comes at almost no cost, it’s the “change” we want so badly that tends to present some problems. Everyone has things they want to improve upon, modify, or even those things they wouldn’t mind getting rid of all together. Yes, I’m talking about the oh-so-infamous New Year’s resolutions we without fail make every year. With only the uttermost passion and determination, of course, do we attempt to take up such a challenge. In what seems like moments of victory we feel invincible, but quickly around the corner comes the rapid defeat I like to call temptation. We soon lose sight of what we set out to accomplish, and here’s to next year to give it another go.

However, change is not impossible. It is rather something always within reach if we so desire. The problem isn’t in the “desire” to change but the reason behind the “desire”. If our motivation is because the “new” feels like an opportunity for a clean slate, as soon as the newness wears off, so does the motivation. Therefore, it’s only when we find a relentless motivation that we stay strong on the course. People will always fail us, and when our motivation is found from them we too will fall off track just as quickly. When we are driven by the person that will never let us down we are sure to always have an abundance of motivation. Don’t lose hope in your goals of change because remember, where there is a will there is a way!