By Ayehsa Afzal
Of 3rd yr.
NOTE: ALL THE CHARACTERS MENTIONED IN THE ARTICLE ARE NON-FICTITIOUS. THE ORIGINAL NAMES HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH FICTITIOUS NAMES IN ORDER TO ENSURE TRANSPERANCY. ANY RESEMBLANCE TO ANY PERSON OR EVENT IS PURELY CO-INCIDENTAL.
It often comes to our mind that whether there is anything else besides ourselves that governs our lives. When it comes to the success of anyone there are mostly two factors one believes play their part. Firstly, your efforts and the second that which most people call Luck or Fate. Is there truly any such thing as luck or fate? The same question was in my mind before I found their answers.
It could be said that Abdul had an ideal life. He had all the joys of life that he could dream of. He was a very strong, energetic and hardworking person. He reached grade 10 with the same pace and grasping all the victories. And then came the 10th examinations, the result of his efforts was to be declared and as everyone expected he scored 90% marks in the tenth examination. There was no limit to his joy. Everyone appreciated his efforts but whenever people talked about him they did that in such way:
People: “ya he’s a very hardworking boy no doubt but he’s a lucky person too”
He was flowing in his pace and one after another his rewards were waiting for him. It was his 12th grade examination now. He had been working very hard for his ultimate goal and no one was to question his efforts again now. Who knew what was to happen. The result was declared and to everyone’s surprise he could only score 80% marks. It fell like a bomb on his soft life. The things went cold for him and the clouds of despair started to roam around him. Fate was tightening its grip on him. When it came to his not being successful (as compared to his efforts) what was to be questioned, his efforts or his luck? Now let us leave this story for a movement and move to something else.
Abdul was amongst those persons who didn’t believe in fate or luck and he believed that there was nothing like luck. The fate was in your fist. His belief in his efforts was not wrong but his disbelief in luck or fate was somehow not pleasing. I happened to meet him and I asked him some questions.
Me: any reason for your failure (actually not failure)
Abdul: I really don’t know.
Me: was it your bad luck?
Abdul: I just don’t believe in luck, good or bad.
Me: what about your efforts?
Abdul: I tried my best.
Me: then what?
Abdul: I really don’t know…..
He was unable to answer my questions properly as he was unwilling to accept luck at all. The question again is ‘Is there anything like luck or fate? If so, what about our efforts? I was still unable to get my answers when I met Ayesha. I asked her the same thing and she was able to answer my questions very briefly. She explained me this way:
Ayesha: ok, lift your right hand.
Me: yes I did.
Ayesha: now lift your left hand.
Me: I did so.
Ayesha: ok now lift your right leg also (simultaneously).
Me: I lifted my right leg also somehow.
Ayesha: and now lift your left leg also.
Me: ah……. I cant, rather no one can.
And here was the answer to my questions.
She said: Listen Haris, you know why you weren’t able to lift your left leg also, because it wasn’t under your control. You could do only what was under your control. Lifting right hand, leg and left hand was under your control so you did so while lifting of the left leg wasn’t under your control. Of the 100% of anything 75% is in our control while the rest 25% is in the hands of fate or luck. So give your best and leave the rest to your fate.
I had my answers and had them so briefly. Yes there is existence of fate. Fate is indeed the other name of God. God did give us the potential to change our fate with our fist but it doesn’t mean that fate doesn’t exist. Fate does exist. Fate is God’s hand. Most of us believe in fate only when our efforts fail us. But giving your best and then leaving the rest to your fate, that is what our approach to life should be. I met another person who illustrated this point to me further.
Meerab said: Many times in your life you just can’t change things. You try to but nothing is in your hands. Try to be calm and flow with the time and your fate. Go on with the fate. Give all your efforts and just move on with the fate, you never know where your fate wants to take you. Believe in God and have faith that every cloud has a silver lining and that after every night there is bright sunlight.
The answers to all my questions were complete now. I gave these answers to Abdul and his belief in fate has blossomed now. His efforts are more rewarding to him with his belief in his fate. And so my belief on fate was even stronger than ever. It is not the fate or only fist that leads to success. At last we know that Fist and Fate go together.