Some people believe that God/fate/the universe has a place for us and we need to find our place there and recognize the opportunities to go down this path.
To me this violates my free will. Why don't I get to choose my life path? Why don't I get to choose what will make me happy? That is my ultimate goal in this life, to be happy. To say that there is something, some force that is driving me toward a specific set of circumstances sounds like a dog owner training its dog to not do its business in the house. "Don't do that...do this. Don't go there, go here."
Any decision you make, should not be made hastily. Weighing the pros and cons. What good will come of it? Will the good outweigh the bad? What are the future repercussions of said decision?
At this point some of you may be thinking, "Travis, what about God's plan for you?"
It is a true that I am a God-fearing man, and I seek out his will in my life for ultimate happiness therein and the life to come.
"Whoa whoa whoa!" you say, "God's will, what about the control you want for you life?"
It is absolutely there. If you are striving to live as holy of a life as you can, seeking out the things that will make you happy, then you can't make a wrong decision.
As of late, I have been considering several possibilities about what to do with the next several years of my life. I have considered three different Catholic volunteer programs, moving to several different places, big cities and small towns alike. To think that God wants me in one place above another, doesn't make any sense to me. Will God not bless me if I choose Chicago over Monett, or DC over St. Louis? I abhor the thought! That doesn't sound like a fair and just God to me.
God's will is for me to be happy. Look to the scriptures for that. John 10:10 "A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it to the full."
A full life with a pre-determined destination...doesn't sound like the kid of life I want to live