The word ‘destiny’ means different things to different people. So as part of our journey towards becoming antifragile, it is important to be clear about the meaning we are using here.
Like the word ‘destination’, the word ‘destiny’ looks to the future: to the place that we are heading towards. But its meaning has changed over the years.
Originally, the Latin word destinare meant “to make firm or establish.” This gives us one meaning of the word ‘destiny’: as something that is firm, established, unchangeable, “pre-destined”.
But just because we set out to go to a destination that doesn’t automatically mean that we will reach it. We might set out for the airport but get stuck in traffic. We might plan a holiday but find that a global pandemic forces us to stay home for two years. (Unlikely, I know, but possible.) And to reflect this deeper truth, the meaning of the Latin word destinare changed over time and came to mean “the action of intending something for a purpose.”
So what we really mean when we say that our ‘destination’ is the airport is that we are intending to go to the airport for the purpose of catching a plane. And if the traffic is heavy and we get delayed then we might have to change our plans.
When we define our ‘destiny’ this way we give ourselves the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances. And in a time of massive change this will be extremely useful.
When people use the word ‘destiny’ to mean something that is fixed and inevitable they assume their destiny is out of their control. This stops them trying to shape it, which removes their ability to adapt to changing circumstances, and in a time of global change this will create problems.
But when we use the word ‘destiny’ to mean “an outcome that we are intending, for a purpose,” then we put ourselves back in control. We give ourselves the extra focus, energy, and enthusiasm that come from knowing the reason for whatever we are doing. And if things don’t turn out in the way we expected then it’s no big deal — we simply find new ways to achieve the same purpose.
This is the sense in which Inner Leadership uses the word ‘destiny’. Our destiny is the person we are heading towards becoming, for a purpose. And if the world changes, we can change with it.
In this time of churning, this is another step towards becoming antifragile: using change to become stronger.
Have you chosen your destiny: an outcome you intend to create, for a purpose you want to achieve? Would you like to give yourself the extra focus, enthusiasm, and flexibility that this would bring you?
Adapted from Inner Leadership: a framework and tools for building inspiration in times of change.
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