While it makes for interesting TV from time to time (FlashForward, Fringe), I tend to reject notions of fate. And ever since this wonderful development has occurred regarding my employment and relocation, I've been hearing a lot about what "happens for a reason."
Things do happen for a reason, but not in the mystical sense. I was not working for all of those months because the market here sucks and I didn't start to really look elsewhere until relatively recently. That's the reason my lack of work happened. And I'm moving and joining an exciting company because I applied, and they thought I was a good fit for what they wanted. It wasn't because of karma or some mysterious grand plan.
I respect the need for faith and hope, and I need those things too. I guess the problem is that sometimes when I hear people say, "Everything happens for a reason," it's often in the context that they, or I, can't control my own fate. That's too troubling a concept for me to deal with. I like to think that only I can truly be responsible for my success and failure. Are there circumstances that contribute to a situation? Yes, and those situations are also the result of decisions people make, not fate.
When things do go well, there's certainly reason to celebrate though. With positive direction comes a lot of hope. These are positive times!
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