Controlling Your Own Destiny

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a well-known 19th century literary figure who has been referred to as one of the "founding fathers" of American literature. Emerson is most well known as a proponent of a unified philosophy or movement called Transcendentalism. But he also exercised a wide range of other talents and was never afraid to take on some of the most difficult philosophical inquiries. For example, he tackled the questions of fate in his work "The Conduct of Life". In this piece he discussed the process of living life and how fate plays a role in how we live our day to day lives. Although it may seem at times that his works are reserved for academics, Ralph Waldo Emerson provides great insights on life for scholars and lay persons alike. He speaks to everyone and his words can help anyone searching for additional meaning in life or insight into who they are.

Fate

In his typical fluent style, Emerson paints a detailed picture of his beliefs regarding the existence of fate in "The Conduct of Life". He directly points out that there is no such thing as fate. For some, a lack of fate may seem trivial, but when you sit down and think about it - it is actually quite important. Do you often find yourself relying on fate or waiting for fate to fix your problems? Many people do. Emerson further points out that when you abandon the idea that fate even exists, it is only then that you can take full responsibility for your life, good or bad, and begin to actually live life for what it is - a day by day process. When you start letting go of the idea that everything is mapped out for you ahead of time, you will start to see that only one thing has control over your thoughts and actions - you. Ralph Waldo Emerson brings to light a scary, yet exhilarating concept - we each have sole control over our own lives and the power to determine where we are going and what we will become.

You Have the Power

Ralph Waldo Emerson is giving you indisputable control over your own life by dismissing the idea that fate guides us along a set path to some predetermined destination. We all have total control over our own mind and our own life. At first this may be tough to swallow, considering many of us seem to be hardwired to continuously feel like we're losing control over our lives; especially when things go wrong. But when you take back control over your own life, you then become the one and only person in charge. You stop letting others tell you what to do and how to live. You start to see that if you want something to happen, then you have to make it happen. Nothing will just fall into your lap.

Responsibility

Along with power comes responsibility. When you can no longer blame fate for all the bad things that happen to you, you have to start taking responsibility. You have to own up to the mistakes you have made and start to see where you have gone wrong. This is probably the most powerful part of what Ralph Waldo Emerson has to say. Only when you can see where you have failed, can you succeed.

Ralph Waldo Emerson is an honored icon in American literature because what he thought and how he lived, really drilled into the core of how we can best live our lives. He encouraged people to go beyond what they have been told and to think for themselves. He always encouraged free thinking and encouraged each person to be themselves and to take control of their own life. If you feel like you are lost or that you are struggling day-to-day, then maybe it is time to listen to Emerson's wise words and start controlling your own destiny and not rely on fate to set your place in this life.