Destiny vs. Choice
My latest novel The Dream is a fantasy tale that explores the power of fate in our lives. There is no definite answer as to whether fate determines what happens to us or whether what happens to us is a result of choices that we make. Most people will believe in something in between.
In my novel, Lynne is about to get married, but she begins to question her choice of marriage partner shortly before she is due to walk up the aisle. When the story enters the realm of fantasy, the question that arises is whether Lynne's actions caused her to follow the path she took, or whether fate was holding the cards all along.
The idea of fate and destiny is an interesting one and as there is not definitive answer I found it was a fun subject to explore in a fiction novel. In real life, great thinkers, philosophers, religious leaders, and scientists have been pondering the subject for many centuries and their findings seems to create more questions than answers.
As many of you know, I am a reviewer for Bookpleasures.com
Part of this role involves sifting through emails and choosing books to review. I recently chose to read Destiny vs. Choice: The Scientific and Spiritual Evidence Behind Fate and Free Will by Marie D. Jones. My fate decided that I should end up with two copies of the book in the post... so, as I have an extra copy I am giving one away on my blog.
Will it be your destiny to win my extra copy of 'Destiny vs. Choice'? You'll have to enter to find out :)
All you have to do to enter is click the 'Like' button on this post, or leave a comment. If you do leave a comment I'd be interested to hear your views on whether there is such a thing as destiny or do we choose our future?
A winner will be chosen at random on 8th October 2011.
In my novel, Lynne is about to get married, but she begins to question her choice of marriage partner shortly before she is due to walk up the aisle. When the story enters the realm of fantasy, the question that arises is whether Lynne's actions caused her to follow the path she took, or whether fate was holding the cards all along.
The idea of fate and destiny is an interesting one and as there is not definitive answer I found it was a fun subject to explore in a fiction novel. In real life, great thinkers, philosophers, religious leaders, and scientists have been pondering the subject for many centuries and their findings seems to create more questions than answers.
As many of you know, I am a reviewer for Bookpleasures.com
Part of this role involves sifting through emails and choosing books to review. I recently chose to read Destiny vs. Choice: The Scientific and Spiritual Evidence Behind Fate and Free Will by Marie D. Jones. My fate decided that I should end up with two copies of the book in the post... so, as I have an extra copy I am giving one away on my blog.
Will it be your destiny to win my extra copy of 'Destiny vs. Choice'? You'll have to enter to find out :)
All you have to do to enter is click the 'Like' button on this post, or leave a comment. If you do leave a comment I'd be interested to hear your views on whether there is such a thing as destiny or do we choose our future?
A winner will be chosen at random on 8th October 2011.
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Adrian
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Sep 29, 2011 01:42AM
Well I still follow lots of your comments, so may be I will win your free book
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Hi Adrian, thanks for stopping by. Good luck in the draw :)
Hi Maria! I think we can influence our future by the life choices we make, if we actually make them! :-)
LOL :) Thanks for your thoughts, Calum, and good luck in the draw!It's an interesting book. Really does contain lots of fascinating theories about the subject area :)
Hi, Maria. What kind of resources did you use for the theory about Free Will? Have you considered the subject matter not as an individual's point of view but from a collective angle? The path individuals take sometimes can change the fate of a nation.Today, when we look into the "Arab Spring", we see the role these movements might play in those nations' future. The important question is: Are they in the right path or is it just a spontaneous movement doomed to fail like what happened in Iran? A dictatorship replaced by a theocracy?
Any shortcoming, failure, or mistake in the right path will have irreparable impacts on the lives of the majority of the people for many years to come.
Here is my small contribution: The Little Black Fish
Hi Ruby, thanks for stopping by! You're very right about one person's choice impacting on others, but Marie's book also questions whether we actually make our choices or whether they are pre-determined in some way. I've always been fascinated with the subject fate vs. free will, so it is explored in my latest novel, 'The Dream'; the only resources I used were my brain and imagination, lol. I think it's one of those subjects which we'll never truly find an answer to, but it's fun guessing. Your book sounds interesting :) Good luck in the draw!
Interesting subject, Maria. I've not thought too deeply about it, but I suppose I must believe that fate plays a part. I've often thought that events occur in our lives for reasons that aren't apparent to us - the "one door closes and another opens" idea, often not dependent on our choices but resulting in outcomes that are ultimately good for us.
A while ago, I saw a documentary on a public television (PBS or KCET?) called: "Lakshima & Me". It is about the caste system in India and portrays the life of a girl from the lowest strata of the society who works for a middle class woman.Lakshima, now in her early twenties and a mother of two has been working as housekeeper for this family since she was four or five years old. The documentary covers one day of her life in her workplace. Without getting into any details as to how a full day’s pay is not enough for her to purchase two pounds of onions to feed her own family, the most interesting part is when the filmmaker asks the employer if there is any hope for Lakshima’s live to be improved?
While resting on a sofa, giving orders and watching Lakshima work until late in the evening, she shrugs her shoulders and repeats “DESTINY!” several times with a smile…
I highly recommend this documentary to my jacketflap friends and to this discussion group.
I like your theory, Angela :) Good luck in the draw!Ruby, that documentary does sound interesting. Thanks for recommending :)
This has always been an interesting debate - an answer I gave in Gone was that it was a mixture of both, in that we choose to find out /follow our destiny and maybe embroider /fight it now and again if we don't agree. Choice is still the key and with it responsibility.
That's an interesting way to look at it Julie, and does make a lot of sense. Good luck in the draw! :)
Maria, this question of destiny vs. choice is what first grabbed my attention with your new book. People often say, "If I could go back and do things differently, I'd..." (Fill in the blank.) But I often wonder about that. As you touched upon in The Dream, we can't change one thing, no matter how little, without other things being effected by that change. Marie Jone's book sounds like a fascinating read. More for my to-read list!
Thanks, Darcia :) I did want that question of destiny vs. choice to come across in my novel, and from what you say, it appears to have done that! I've just finished reading Marie's book and it's definitely worth a read, I liked reading about all the different theories and some true life stories that seem to prove something... although there is still a question mark over everything, which is probably what makes it such a fascinating subject! Good luck in the draw :)
The competition is now closed! Thanks to everyone who entered! I will now put all your names in a hat and if it's your destiny to win the book, you will! :) Good luck! Oh, wait a minute if it's fate then luck hasn't got anything to do with it... now I'm confused!!
It all does make you wonder if we're making our own choices or following some invisible map. If it's a map, then mine must have gotten scribbled on and I mistook the scribble lines for the map's lines. I've had far too many detours and scenic routes in my life!
LOL, If it's a map, I was never very good at map reading so that probably explains a lot of things :)
Congrats to Ruby who wins my spare copy of 'Destiny vs. Choice'. Your copy will be on its way to you soon :) Enjoy!
