I have believed in reincarnation for as long as I can remember.  It was never taught to me.  I just sensed it.  I recall being about 5 or 6 and having recurring thoughts and fears about my next life and how it would be if I wasn’t paired with my same mom.  I worried if I would love her as much.  Would she be as kind to me?

Now I have my own daughter and she has said to me over a dozen times, “mom, I’m glad you are my mom.  If God gave me to another mom, I would love her, but I’m glad He gave me to you.”  It intrigues me how children, uncontaminated, have such wisdom.

Recognize this movie?

If I could get the answers, I would want to know about the purpose of my current life.  What is my main life lesson?  I am guessing patience. Nonjudgement? Maybe love.  Am I on my optimal path or have I missed some signs?  Am I taking the risks needed to progress and learn or am I holding back?  I would like to sit down with God and do a mid-life review.

I know that I chose this life, this body.  I believe that I actively participated in choosing this existence. Before I was born, I choose my body, my circumstances, the other souls around me, my life’s major crossroads, and my death.  It was all precisely selected to give me the best scenario to fulfill my goals.

There is comfort in knowing that I knew what I was getting myself into before I was born.  It means I knew I could handle it.  It means I wanted to learn something from it.  It means I’m going to be ok.  It means you’re going to be ok.

So, if we call this belief in “plans” destiny, what about free will?

Can there be destiny if we have free will?  Many people see these as opposites that cannot coexist.  But, there is a delicate balance between destiny and free will.  We do have free will and our lessons along the way come from our choices.  While destiny brings two people together, for example, we have free will to ignore the signs.  And the more we eat, think, worry, and overextend, the more we miss the signs.  This is what is called “getting off track.”  Often, the more we feel discord, the more we are being told we have veered off course.

But the Devine Universe, in all of its love and kindness, keeps giving us signs along the way and nudges us towards our optimal path.  It is our job to pay attention to the signs and listen to the answers.  It is all there for us if we can just get our heads out of our asses and look.  And the more we sit, slow down, meditate, and let go, the more we notice.

Many of us hear that little voice inside us, but are too scared to make a move. Taking that first step can feel like such a risk, but in fact it is the sure-fire way to greater happiness and fulfillment. The biggest rewards come from taking risks.  Even if they don’t pan out exactly as we had planned, there are lessons to be learned.

So, how is your current life going?  Are you using your time here wisely or are you paralyzed by fear?  Do you sense you are going to be ok or are you trapped by anger or resentment?  There will be more opportunities to learn and progress, but why waste the one we have right in front of us?  I don’t know about you, but I want to look back at my life and say, “Shit, it was hard sometimes, but I sure learned a lot.  And I really handled myself with grace.  Not bad, Dalai.”

Interested in reading about reincarnation? Check this book out: Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian Weiss, M.D.