“You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist,” Fredrich Nietzsche wrote in his book Thus Spoke Zarathustra. In other words, there is no right path or a predetermined destiny that we shall follow or believe. Although many philosophers in the past have sought to define the meaning of life in order to try and show mankind the right path toward utilitarian happiness or a definite purpose, the road toward achieving utopian happiness is a nonexistent phenomenon for humans.

To illustrate, all paths, regardless of “destiny,” are thorn-filled. Fate, whether it exists, has not established the human essence, and it has not constructed a predetermined future for everyone to say, “if it’s meant to be, it will be.” Rather, the power of our thoughts and our will to change the course of our lives should be the undeniable force that reckons our “destiny.” After all, the objective of life for those who seek utopian happiness is a mere illusion. Utopian happiness does not exist, and if it did, it would not be meant for our species. Nietzsche described the natural life of cattle within one of his essays in the book of, “Untimely Meditations,” to be that “they do not know what is meant by yesterday or today, they leap about, eat, rest, digest, leap about again, and so from morn till night and from day to day, fettered to the moment and its pleasure or displeasure, and thus neither melancholy nor bored.”

Ultimately, that is what separates man from animal. As Nietzsche describes, if you observe a herd of any animal, they are content to eat, sleep, and, simply put, exist. It is the mere pursuit of happiness that gives us our distinguished uniqueness. Moreover, we seek entertainment, such as news stories, reality TV, and activities that rile up excitement and even help to ignite individual creativity. Hence, the pursuit of happiness for many is dependent on fighting off the existence of boredom by uncovering a gratifying life purpose.

In the end, this pursuit is a quality that inherently differentiates our kind from the rest. We long to search for ways to distract ourselves and our minds by experimenting with mentally engaging activities that assist with escaping to another reality. Unfortunately, succumbing to a life that revolves around serving and enriching others’ lives has led to a society where many of us are left destitute. How we change such entrenched social order is now the real question.

Becoming like a mere animal by eating, sleeping, and working is now a developed cycle of life for the ordinary human being.

In addition, if we sit and continuously think and place our fate upon the past, then we are just existing and not living, and we are placing our purpose in the hands of a fictional illusion. Charles F. Haanel, in his book titled The Master Key System, states that the “power is contingent upon a proper use of the power already in our possession.” But what is this power? The power falls within our hands and involves our own abilities to act and change the course of our lives toward a path that is reachable.

What is reachable is clearly not Utopia because what entertains mankind is suffering. Utopian happiness is a boring, inaccessible concept since, in reality, we like to suffer, and we seek news that depicts the suffering of people around the world. After all, what is news without suffering?! Any route toward accomplishing a goal comes with overwhelming misery. As a result, we must face an assortment of suffering in order to reach our purpose.

As much as we should value and study what history has taught us, there is no clear indication that history repeats itself. It is the power of our thought that welcomes the past mistakes to be repeated over and over. The true revelation when it comes to perceiving what history represents should not be the ultimate prerequisite toward what one’s present or future is or will be. Thinking that one’s past is the sole proprietor of how fate is determined is the wrong way to live.

Consider a time where there was a reoccurrence of an event or incident that happened in the past. Now, brainstorm whether history repeats itself or if it is your brain allowing the event to happen again.

The key here is to learn from the past and use the power of the mind to stay present within the current moment.

There is a wide assumption that no matter how hard or how many goals an individual sets for themselves, regardless of hard work, there is still a predetermined future. As human beings, we have the ability to control our “fate,” and living in the present moment is paramount in shaping our future. Individual development is purely dependent on how we handle the present moment, a moment that should not be taken for granted and should not be reliant on precedence. How we handle the present moment is perceptibly the decisive factor on any future life improvements. In the words of Charles F. Haanel, our world is “omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.” Therefore, it is up to us how we ascertain our own essence.