Counselling Central

So who exactly is in charge here? Is it God who controls the direction of our lives? Is it Karma, which states that if we’re good then good things will happen to us? Is it our parents, who shaped us as children and continue to have an influence on our sense of direction – whether it be directly or unconsciously? Is it the government, who some believe carefully manipulates us and sets our agenda for us?

With all of these different possible inputs, how do we go about deciding what is the best direction for us to take in life? How do we reconcile the fact that good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to the good?

The first thing to remember is that, whatever our spiritual or religious beliefs, we all have choices and every action we take has some sort of consequence. The other important thing to remember is that although we have choice, we can’t always guarantee outcomes. But if we spend all of our time worrying about the possible outcomes of our decisions, there’s a fair chance we would avoid making choices at all. Everyday the little choices we make, the left turn or the right turn, saying yes or no, moves our lives in a slightly different direction because life can’t be a straight line. You are constantly evolving as an individual, you are constantly making choices. Some will prove right, some wrong, but there isn’t a fixed plan that if you deviate from then your life will be ruined.

So you are in charge of the choices you make. As Joan Oliver says in her book ‘Good Karma’, ”Things won’t always turn out as you hoped or planned, but if you seize opportunities, act diligently and fairly, and show goodwill towards others, you’ll enjoy a full rich life unburdened by regrets.”