Direction and Movement

[Ngawang Drolma]

This isn't particularly Buddhist, I found it in my "daily inspirational quote" on email log-in page. But I like the idea of it, that we are the owners of our destiny and our goals, and we posses the power to create and uncreate as we see fit. I also like the allusion to how static our lives are, in a constant state of flux and change.

Direction and movement

Any desired destination can be reached by maintaining the appropriate direction and movement. When you drive your car, you control direction with the steering wheel. Movement is supplied by the fuel and the engine.

When pursuing a goal in your life, direction is controlled by your expectations and movement is supplied by your actions. As long as your expectations are focused in the appropriate direction, and to the degree that your actions support those expectations, you'll achieve what you set out to achieve.

The great thing is that you can choose your expectations, and you can control your actions. Those who do so thoughtfully and persistently end up going precisely where they desire to go.

Every moment of every life has direction and movement. What is yours like? Is it random, drifting, or even reckless? Or is it bringing you steadily toward where you wish to be? You're at the wheel. You control the accelerator. You might as well drive yourself somewhere great.
-author unknown

[David N. Snyder]

Hi Laura,

Thanks, yes, that is a good analogy. Once I was visiting a temple in China Town in San Francisco and the altar was shaped in the form of a ship. The priest/minister said the design is to show that we are each the "captain of our own ship." We make our own destiny, no one else.