Control, The Universe and Destiny

So, I watching the “The Good Wife” the other day and a lawyer who was leaving her current firm and highly-sought-after by many firms meets with Alicia (the main character) and asks:

“What do you want?”

Alicia’s reply (all the more honest as she had had a couple beers just recently) was:

“I want to be happy. And to control my own destiny.”

It got me to thinking.

There’s a difference between controlling the Universe and controlling one’s Destiny.

So many people want to control “things.” And by “things” what they really mean is Everything.

A key desire of humans is a sense-of-control. A feeling that life isn’t chaos and there’s order, and meaning, to life.

But when we wish we can control the World, we suffer.

We can’t.

We can control what we do though. And that’s a key distinction.

We can control our Destiny as our “fate” is created by what we do, and don’t do. Our lives are our choices, and non-choices.

Alicia wants to, of course, “be happy” and have a nice, enjoyable experience of life. But she also wants to control her destiny. That’s why she started a law firm with Cary and others from Lockhart Gardner.

She knew that as long as Will and Diane were around she would always be, in some way shape or form, working for them. For her that was not acceptable. She needed more independence – and risk and responsibility.

*  *  *

Where do you need to take more responsibility for your Destiny?

What (intelligent) risks do you need to take?