Imagine Abraham at the age he received his calling to go to a faraway land and have offspring that will outnumber the sand.
This piece of yours has prompted me to consider the difference between destiny and dignity. There is also a curious difference between agency and advocacy. The world has sold us on destiny and agency. But it is from dignity, the imago dei, that appears to me to be the realest trunk of the tree. And it is Christ's conference of the advocate which we call the Holy Spirit that should inspire every adventure worth embarking on. For agency is that unburdened selfish thing it seems to me. But the advocate of the Kingdom of Heaven has that perfectly weighted burden that intercedes for others. Perhaps that is what the great work is of our generation. That we would not enslave ourselves by the fears of our parents but that by our own reverence of the Mighty One we could intercede for even that generation that gave birth to you and me.
It is always good to read you. and congratulations on several wonderful pieces this year. My best to you always. May you continue to be blessed.
Steve Martin’s autobiography, Born Standing Up, is a great read….an apt example of commitment + destiny for this thoughtful essay. He had remarkable stick-to-it-iveness.
Substack is a place where, if you’re not producing work in your field of destiny (often otherwise called “following your passion”), you’re really not going to create lasting success. The field is too crowded. There may be some clickbait flashes of what looks like success, but subscribers soon tire when they sniff out the lack of authenticity.
It’s a rather exciting fundamental truth, actually, for those genuinely pursuing the work of their life (I happily count myself among them…we’ll see where it leads)!
find the language interesting because in interviews I call myself a problem solver which works in a professional setting. high agency individuals sound like they like the smell of their own farts but hey I think the spirit is actually right even if the language signals an out group
I think you are scratching at meeting moments of synchronicity when they occur to achieve destiny which I also think is a good concept
great question. I exist in a grey area of the old DiBlasio tale of two cities (in NYC). high income, high expense, renter, not owner. not quite in either distinct class
I have two distinct dialects - how I speak at work and how I speak as a human. that sound like something that is technically a correct concept but if framed that way, would just get me negative work outcomes. bad narrative that you could say far more productively
dunno the out group would be in relation to the professional class? that’s all I got I’m not the most articulate at nuanced thoughts
I really resonated deeply with your story. In my 20s, I was working at a corporate bank, earning a six-figure income, and I thought of myself as a “high-agency” person because I could get what I wanted. But looking back, I realise now that most of what I thought I wanted was actually what other people told me I should want.
My body knew before I did because I started getting sick, having panic attacks, feeling constantly on edge. I didn’t understand it back then; I just knew something was deeply wrong. So I followed my intuition, quit my job, and moved 10,000 miles away from home to start a completely new life.
Like you, I’ve always loved writing :) I started keeping a diary when I was six. I still haven’t figured out how to make a living purely from writing, but choosing this path has been unexpectedly peaceful. It has healed a lot of the emptiness I used to carry.
Reading your words reminded me that I need to keep finding my own way, not try to replicate someone else’s “successful” formula. Thank you for sharing your story! It means a lot to know I’m not alone on this path.
It feels like tiny whirlpools in a theme-stream of thoughts. Delicate, left for a reader to ponder, if they choose to.
An interesting take on agency. I've always known what my destiny was to be. Not in precise words, more in vague sensations. Yet, somehow, I pushed myself away in all other directions, because I felt I should build my weaknesses. Now, after 50+, I have arrived where I started, to a faint idea of what this life was to be about. And somehow, I feel sad and not sad, at the same time. I lost my years of not walking the path, and yet I gained them differently because of the adventures I did not even like, but appreciated.
Agency (hustle, grind, ambition, etc) is just a form of energy use in life. One that has its unique flavor, macronutrients, pros and cons. Yeah you might sacrifice some of softer, inward perspectives of life. But if it’s what you want, it’s what you want. What if agency vs destiny is more like choosing between chocolate vs vanilla. It’s just a different flavor profile in life. “Imma go do stuff and get stuff to see what I’m capable of - that feels like a unwasted life to me.” Cool. Or “I’m going to search for destiny, be patient, try the slower or inward path because that feels like an unwasted life to me” 🤷🏻♀️
I can’t get my head around what you mean by destiny. I get that agency entails a lot of “strutting and fretting” as we live/exist. But destiny? Is this what we are or where we are at the moment of death, or what we are or where we are the moment after death? Or does the term include certain important (albeit temporary) destinations as we live/exist?
Really enjoyed this one Taylor!
Imagine Abraham at the age he received his calling to go to a faraway land and have offspring that will outnumber the sand.
This piece of yours has prompted me to consider the difference between destiny and dignity. There is also a curious difference between agency and advocacy. The world has sold us on destiny and agency. But it is from dignity, the imago dei, that appears to me to be the realest trunk of the tree. And it is Christ's conference of the advocate which we call the Holy Spirit that should inspire every adventure worth embarking on. For agency is that unburdened selfish thing it seems to me. But the advocate of the Kingdom of Heaven has that perfectly weighted burden that intercedes for others. Perhaps that is what the great work is of our generation. That we would not enslave ourselves by the fears of our parents but that by our own reverence of the Mighty One we could intercede for even that generation that gave birth to you and me.
It is always good to read you. and congratulations on several wonderful pieces this year. My best to you always. May you continue to be blessed.
Steve Martin’s autobiography, Born Standing Up, is a great read….an apt example of commitment + destiny for this thoughtful essay. He had remarkable stick-to-it-iveness.
Substack is a place where, if you’re not producing work in your field of destiny (often otherwise called “following your passion”), you’re really not going to create lasting success. The field is too crowded. There may be some clickbait flashes of what looks like success, but subscribers soon tire when they sniff out the lack of authenticity.
It’s a rather exciting fundamental truth, actually, for those genuinely pursuing the work of their life (I happily count myself among them…we’ll see where it leads)!
Excellent essay, enjoyed reading this.
Thanks, Jeff.
What a beautiful piece. What a way to catch the subtle animal of destiny from the jaws of agency. I definitely resonate with this message
Appreciate the kind words, John.
This was beautifully written!
An accident, I assure you.
Wow. Thank you for this
No, thank you.
find the language interesting because in interviews I call myself a problem solver which works in a professional setting. high agency individuals sound like they like the smell of their own farts but hey I think the spirit is actually right even if the language signals an out group
I think you are scratching at meeting moments of synchronicity when they occur to achieve destiny which I also think is a good concept
Interesting. I wonder how you see their language signaling an out group.
great question. I exist in a grey area of the old DiBlasio tale of two cities (in NYC). high income, high expense, renter, not owner. not quite in either distinct class
I have two distinct dialects - how I speak at work and how I speak as a human. that sound like something that is technically a correct concept but if framed that way, would just get me negative work outcomes. bad narrative that you could say far more productively
dunno the out group would be in relation to the professional class? that’s all I got I’m not the most articulate at nuanced thoughts
Appreciate this response. Something for me to think about.
I really resonated deeply with your story. In my 20s, I was working at a corporate bank, earning a six-figure income, and I thought of myself as a “high-agency” person because I could get what I wanted. But looking back, I realise now that most of what I thought I wanted was actually what other people told me I should want.
My body knew before I did because I started getting sick, having panic attacks, feeling constantly on edge. I didn’t understand it back then; I just knew something was deeply wrong. So I followed my intuition, quit my job, and moved 10,000 miles away from home to start a completely new life.
Like you, I’ve always loved writing :) I started keeping a diary when I was six. I still haven’t figured out how to make a living purely from writing, but choosing this path has been unexpectedly peaceful. It has healed a lot of the emptiness I used to carry.
Reading your words reminded me that I need to keep finding my own way, not try to replicate someone else’s “successful” formula. Thank you for sharing your story! It means a lot to know I’m not alone on this path.
What an incredible piece of writing!
It feels like tiny whirlpools in a theme-stream of thoughts. Delicate, left for a reader to ponder, if they choose to.
An interesting take on agency. I've always known what my destiny was to be. Not in precise words, more in vague sensations. Yet, somehow, I pushed myself away in all other directions, because I felt I should build my weaknesses. Now, after 50+, I have arrived where I started, to a faint idea of what this life was to be about. And somehow, I feel sad and not sad, at the same time. I lost my years of not walking the path, and yet I gained them differently because of the adventures I did not even like, but appreciated.
Loved this article! Do you have any podcasts/blogs/books related to this that you’d recommend?
What do you think of this:
Agency (hustle, grind, ambition, etc) is just a form of energy use in life. One that has its unique flavor, macronutrients, pros and cons. Yeah you might sacrifice some of softer, inward perspectives of life. But if it’s what you want, it’s what you want. What if agency vs destiny is more like choosing between chocolate vs vanilla. It’s just a different flavor profile in life. “Imma go do stuff and get stuff to see what I’m capable of - that feels like a unwasted life to me.” Cool. Or “I’m going to search for destiny, be patient, try the slower or inward path because that feels like an unwasted life to me” 🤷🏻♀️
I advocate for lead in gasoline and paint, do something about it
I can’t get my head around what you mean by destiny. I get that agency entails a lot of “strutting and fretting” as we live/exist. But destiny? Is this what we are or where we are at the moment of death, or what we are or where we are the moment after death? Or does the term include certain important (albeit temporary) destinations as we live/exist?
Thank you much. Hmm so is Michael Sklar’s personal cartography, laying out the map of one’s destiny
As you were saying . . . https://x.com/quotejung/status/1954086031931711709?s=46&t=xMnOwxGvZQzkUiNZf6R4bA