Is it acceptance of fate, or acceptance of faith? Whichever it is, it is what allows us to cope with the world as it unfolds before us. There are those that seek therapists, a popular thing these days in lieu of finding God, the modern method of redemption. Everything is fine as along as you can find others to agree with you. It’s the absence of personal accountability, it’s not your fault. With faith you have to admit your mistakes, take personal accountability for those actions and ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness is guaranteed, isn’t it? It is if you accept that and that is what is being taught these days.

Where do you turn in times of trouble? Do you get depressed? I do, I get depressed, and I’m aware of that. What do I do to cope with that? Accept the truth, that’s what I do. It’s uncomfortable, I get mad at myself when it is my fault and mad at the world when it isn’t. But I realize I can’t change the world, it is what it is, and that’s what it is going to be. There is no one in control! The only thing you can do is react. Your reaction determines your state of mind. You either accept it as fate, or turn to your faith for strength.

What I’m talking about are the Stoics. Those ancient Greek philosopher’s that taught resilience, practical wisdom, and virtue. They believed, as I do, that you cannot control the world around you, only control yourself. I do believe that you can alter the situation, create favorable conditions for yourself, but that won’t last long. You will get stabbed in the back every once in a while, get used to that. Yes, it hurts, but it doesn’t have to be fatal. I grew up with this philosophy without knowing it was a philosophy. I was just taught that it was life.

A German writer Freidrich Schiller said, “The strong man is strongest when alone” He was talking about inner strength. Real strength isn’t derived by influencing others but by controlling yourself, not compromising to satisfy others, or make it easier on yourself. If you attempt to make the world follow your rules you will lose, every single time. You can not control what others do, say or think. You have to accept that!

Accepting faith may accomplish that for you, I can’t speak to that, only you can decide that. Accepting fate carries the same responsibility. You are solely responsible. Does fate or the god(s) punish us? I do not believe I’m that important, that integral to the unfolding of the universe. I’m really just a very minor cog in all of that. It would be rather presumptuous of me to think otherwise. The world doesn’t hinge upon my choices. I have to accept that.

Personal attention from a God? I’m not so sure about that, but I’m certain that same God will judge me in the end. The only influence I will have upon that judgement is whatever resides within my heart. I control that. Well, at least that is the goal, to control that. I’m responsible, just me, no one else. Nothing wrong with asking for advice, getting a different opinion or viewpoint, but in the end you have to decide, you are responsible.

Fate or faith? I don’t think it matters what leads you there, as long as you get there. The only question remaining is; where am I going? The Stoics believe you don’t go anywhere at all. They believe your life is finite and when you die that is it, you die. Your soul, your energy is simply dispersed back into the universe to be used to create something new. That seems reasonable enough to me.

The Stoics taught you shouldn’t worry about what comes next, concentrate on what is. Another reasonable approach in my way of thinking. I do believe there is intelligence behind all that we know, an ordered universe unfolding as it was designed to do. We can not know the whole plan, the beginning or the end, it is just way beyond our comprehension. We are, after all, finite. Still, it is the nature of man that we seek redemption, either from a God, or from fate itself. In the end, we want to be right, confident we did the right thing. The right thing for the universe, not necessarily what we would like for ourselves.