Should we wait for destiny to pave way for us or is it better to work hard instead?

To wait for destiny to be benevolent enough to shower all the worldly blessings or fearing it to strike a deal with karma is a thought I'm sure a lot of people find themselves pondering over. It is a thought that may enmesh even the very best of minds leading them to struggle through some situations every now and then.

A lot of people believe that it is merely luck and chance that can alter the course of your life. They sit around searching and waiting for that one moment that would put them on a different and more successful path. On the contrary what I believe in is the fact that only through planning and hard work one can achieve the very best in life. As Ralph Waldo Emerson also puts it, "The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be."

However arguable this topic may be, it is only logical to state that if a person wishes to become successful in his life, his chances are higher if he plans about what he wants and that too beforehand, puts in a positive effort and works hard to chase his dreams. To quote a real life example here, it is said that Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz continues to work from home even after putting in 13 hour days. He is known for waking up early and working towards his set goals persistently. Working hard not only pays off in terms of gaining a respectable position in the society and earning well, it also opens new and better opportunities allowing one to climb the stairs towards success.

Furthermore, sitting around, embracing the term 'couch potato' or fancying about a particular job will not take you anywhere, instead one would find him/herself wasting away some of the most important years of his/her life. Destiny is a thing that if dealt with properly can be altered to work in one's favour. Your thoughts and efforts shape your future.

Hence, it can be fairly established that instead of leading a life filled with 'what if's' and waiting for a miracle to happen it is better to devise a suitable and achievable plan and work towards it consistently. As they say, luck favours the prepared.

The comparison here is between destiny and working hard playing a role in the future or a person. There are some people who believe that your destiny is set from birth and cannot be changed and there are those who believe that destiny can be changed by working hard. Or that working hard results in the fulfillment of your destiny. That is the point of discussion for your essay that can be developed. Some people are said to be destined for greatness from an early age. Those people whose talents just come naturally and help elevate them to the highest pinnacles of success such as presidents, religious leaders, and generational business owners. Then there are those, such as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and others, who work hard in order to achieve success and greatness. Their destiny was not pre-determined for them, nor was it obvious at an early age. So you can compare those two aspects of success as part of this essay discussion. The strength of your argument though, will lie in the way that you present your decision about how you will achieve your success in the future. Will you wait for destiny to play a hand or will you work hard at it? Explain why. Doing so will give you the opportunity to present the strongest argument that you can regarding your stance on the topic presented.