Second Chances
We are born with a certain character, a set of DNA, which causes us to go in a particular direction. There is a reason why I am interested in the creative facets of life and why you are more interested in chemistry and science. Although there is some debate on this point, most studies agree that 60 - 80 per cent of our personality and drive comes from genetics.
There is a story of two men who gave up the women they loved to pursue a life of challenge and adventure. They gained many friends while traveling the world in quest of exciting exploits. As ecological engineers they made great contributions designing water systems, and helped to house and feed the poor.
But always in the back of their mind they wondered, "What if we married our sweetheart? What if we stayed in Kansas, built a home, and fathered children?
The story continues with the two men finding a rip in time where they entered a portal and reached the place of second chances. They were given the opportunity to fulfill their latent desires, to follow the road of the other choice. The two men were ecstatic. They looked at one another and agreed without question they'd look up their old sweethearts, settle down in one place, build a home, and father children. They'd realize the dreams they left behind.
Settling into their desires, they found their sweethearts, immediately entered a fully furnished home, and enjoyed the fruits of family life. Months later the two met on a hill and discussed their joy at having realized their dream, and then they became silent. Finally, they both admitted it was not what they wanted.
The call to adventure and risk, the willingness to make sacrifices for the sake of others was worth more than the dreams and desires they'd left behind. Suddenly, a new rip in time opened to them. The portal to enter the life previously lived presented itself once again. The two men looked at one another and jumped through.
Given a second chance to follow one road or the other, they chose the original path, which they had always known. Why? Genetically they were designed with temperament, skills, desires, and life longings, that led them down a particular path. They could imagine what it might have been like to go in a different direction, chose a different path, but deep down they knew there was a call toward the very goal they had fulfilled. There was something in their nature that made them choose the path they did and given the choice, they chose it again.
Given the choice what would you choose? Would you really go down the path of restoration to lost dreams? Like you, I have wished I made different life choices. There once was a love I wish I had married, a job I wished I had taken, an opportunity I wish I had realized. But, I believe we're predisposed to go down a certain path, and given the choice we'd end up making the same moves.
I have been married twice. Unwittingly each time I married a man of the same temperament, a choleric. The first man was dominated by his weaknesses, and the second by his strengths. I didn't know that either man was a choleric until after marriage. It seems that my genetic nature leads me in the direction of cholerics. It's highly probable that I'm attracted to them because there is something in the choleric temperament that completes, or compliments, my melancholy nature.
People think the grass is greener, that if they chose differently things would be better. You need to be careful. Some people believe the same lessons are coming around again, that given the opportunity to make a new choice you'll choose as you did before because there is something in your nature that needs to be completed by the choices you make.
Given the choice we might find the inner compulsion to take the same route realizing it brings more joy, more challenges, more growth, and value as a person. With this thought in mind it means the choices I've made have been good ones. There are no mistakes, only lessons, and challenges to a deep satisfying life.