The word destiny by definition means "predetermined." As usual, when someone asks a question that appears on its face to have an obvious answer, I did a little research, and came across an idea I hadn't initially thought of.

Our path through life is governed by the choices we make. The ability to make a choice at any given moment is called "free will." The act of making that choice can be called, "exercising your free will." But once that choice is made, it limits any future choices you may make, and therefore constrains the future path your life can take.

Let us take an example. Say, you are going to plant a tree. As long as you have not done it, you have plenty of options. You may choose not to plant the seed at all. You may choose the type of tree you wish to grow. But once you have taken that decision and acted upon it, your freedom is curtailed by many degrees. If you plant a mango tree, then no matter what you do you cannot get lemons or any other fruit from that tree. You can only get mangoes. If you wish to get any fruit at all from the tree, you must water it and fertilize it, and do the things that knowledge tells you will keep the tree healthy enough to bear fruit.

In other words, if you want a certain outcome, you are bound by the requirements of the process that produces that desired outcome. Your actions are, therefore, predetermined.

http://www.akgupta.com/Thoughts/destiny.htm

Aaah ... ultimately, this is ye age olde debate of free will vs determinism (= a destiny carved in stone) again.

We have learnt that when John says (A) that all cars a red, and Frank states (B) that all cars are blue, and both seem to be correct in arguing their position, time will show that the real answer is (C), in that it unifies both points of view into one: that all cars in their special world are violet. Both were correct but they couldn't see the whole picture yet at that time as long as the color violet had not been discovered. This is what Hegel's Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis triad means.

I believe that of all philosophical issues however, this free will vs determinism thing will be one of the last that can be resolved.

Science point of view

Most conventional scientists and physicists of today argue for determinism, because what motivates them at last is the quest to find a formula for everything that is yet inexplicable. If a true Universal Formula For Everything can be found, then there will be no place for free will. We basically live a billard ball or giant clockwork universe where everything can be precalculated if the position and impulse of every single particle that exists is known at a given time. (Quantum theory is surely still in for the occasional weirdness but they're trying to get that in control.)

And yes, that goes also for the particles in our brains, because basically we are merely biological machines, Neuronal Networks pre-determined by our genes and by the influences of our surroundings. The concept of a soul is denied, it does not exist, and free will is an illusion, because every decision that we make is the result of a long, long chain of cause and effect. Yes, even if we try to do something extraordinarily unusual and crazy just to test this, an observer from outside with a powerful computer will be able to tell us that he saw that coming. The only reason why this doesn't happen is because computers are not powerful enough (and fortunately won't be for a very long time) to collect and calculate all the information needed.

It's interesting to note that this is what rational thinking really means when thinking it out to the final conclusion. If somebody, sometime, somewhere in the whole universe is able to make just one little decision of true free will, then the universe will collapse. ;-)

Spiritualistic approach

There is of course also the concept of determinism in religion, as in imagining a God who pre-planned everything meticulously. This is basically a belief thing, discussing this would be tiresome and lead to nowhere. :->

Apparently, some idealistic, scientific minds a few hundreds of years ago wanted to break with those superstitious beliefs and explain us the real nature of things with common sense and reason in an Age of Enlightenment.

Ironically, they inevitably came to the same conclusion, see above. ;-)

As said, if only one little spark of free will is possible, then it is only a matter of degree of how much we are able to change our individual destinies.

I believe we create the universe as we go. We are fractions of God and not a separate thing. The droplets are not separate from the ocean, but also, and it might sound blasphemic for some, the ocean would not exist without the droplets. All our thoughts and actions are God's own thoughts and actions. This will go on until every possible thought has been thought, every dream has been dreamed, every angle has been explored and every reality has been manifested. It will go until the concept of existence is fulfilled and is discovered in every possible aspect, when-ever that may be, if-ever that is possible.

Your destiny is determined by your choices.

The journey is pre-determined (by prior mutual arrangement ;) ) but the destination is determined by the free choices you make on a daily basis.

You will travel! Where to is up to you.