My twin sister has a Magic 8 ball. When any big decision or wish comes to mind for herself or others, she grabs a hold of the Magic 8 ball and gives it a good shake. Usually, the ball answers with "Try again later", or "Definitely Yes", or some other silly comment. Of course, she is joking every time, but the thought of the ball is what strikes me as humorous: the thought that something arbitrary can control control one's personal future.
Although the Magic 8 ball is a silly example, I believe that many, if not all of us, do not believe that we can control our futures. I came across a simple quote a year a so ago that seemed to speak to me: "Decisions Determine Destiny." I believed it then, and I believe it now.
In The Book of Mormon, a gift is highlighted and talked about as a means to determine our eternal consequences. This gift is free agency. In short, the essence of the gift is that each one of us has the ability to make our own decisions. As I was reading in the book of 2 Nephi this past week, a few thoughts about free agency jumped out at me.
1. Free agency is free, while consequences are not. This may sound simple and a bit redundant, but hear me out. God has given to each of us the ability to make choices without limitations (meaning without anyone to stop or impede us). However, the choices that we make are always connected to consequences that we can not choose. Consequences can be good, or bad, or both, depending on the nature of the choice. While choices can be made quickly, often the consequences linger. We can not avoid the consequences of the choices we make, which can be both rewarding and costly.
2. We are responsible for our own decisions. I've learned this lesson repeatedly throughout my life. Often as a teenager when I was leaving to go out with friends, my mom would remind me with the phrase, "You are your own advocate!" By this, she meant that the conduct of others did not need to affect my own choices unless I allowed it to. She meant that I was free to act without the influence of others. I did not need to do things because "everybody's doing it." What a great lesson to learn!
3. We are able to choose by being attracted to good or bad. Some may disagree with this notion, that there is a moral/ethical right or wrong in life. To make it more applicable, I would like to use the example of breaking the law by stealing. According to the law, stealing is wrong. One might ask, "If stealing is wrong, why do people still do it?" The answer is simple: one is attracted to make the choice to steal because the possible benefit, in his/her mind, outweighs the possible consequences. On the other hand, one is attracted to make the choice to not steal because, likewise, the possible consequences outweighs the benefit. Whether in law, morals, values, or ethics, right and wrong exists, attracting each of us to act. If we were never attracted to a certain choice, we would never make a decision!
I find myself now in an interesting situation in which I do not know what my future holds. I do not know what to study, where to work, or who to date. I do not know where I will be in a year, let alone 3 months. However, what brings me comfort is the thought that I will be able to determine my own destiny, decision by decision, independent of anything (or anyone) else. So, although I may give the Magic 8 ball a good shake now and again, inside I know that the real "magic" lies in my own personal gift to choice.
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