Are we puppets in the hands of destiny and regardless of what we do, think, or believe, nothing can spare us from our predestined fate?

That way of thinking may be great if we don’t want to assume responsibility for what we have done, for our words, and thoughts. It’s also the perfect excuse to justify lack of action since we can’t escape destiny. 

A variant of this mindset I’ve heard often is that our karma can’t be changed.

But . . . what if we have free will, not only to create our future but also to clean or change our karma—which means action and is related to the principle of cause and effect?

It is true that our experiences create our beliefs and consequently our thoughts. But it’s also true and a more empowering approach that our thoughts and beliefs create our experiences. Is this the key to turn our life around, regardless of what we may have done or experienced before?

There are two things we’re in control of: 

1. Our actions.
2. How we react or respond to the circumstances that we haven’t chosen. 

When we’re children, our experiences—what others tell us, how they treat us, our interpretations of their actions and words, and our environment—create our belief system about every possible area of our lives, including our capabilities, our relationships, our aspirations, our skills, our place in the world, and even our success level.

We put labels on ourselves that may limit us, such as “I suck at this,” “I’m not good enough,” “I’m not that smart,” etc. Those labels prevent us from challenging our limits, from trying, from taking chances, and from getting out of the safety of our comfort zone where our ego strives to keep us. Those labels shape our personality and don’t let us see the potential or who we really are.

The question at this point is, can we change our beliefs just like that? This is easier said than done, but definitely yes, we can change our belief system, reprogram our subconscious mind and replace old beliefs with new ones that serve us. Just as climbing a high mountain requires taking one step at a time, transforming our beliefs is a gradual process that happens incrementally.

How exactly can we do that? The same way we gathered evidence of those old beliefs to make them solid and unquestionable, we can start questioning those same beliefs and gathering evidence of the opposite to prove them wrong.

In order to start making changes we need to observe our language, and choose words and thoughts that feel better and are more positive. For instance, if you catch yourself saying or thinking “I can’t do this well,” just add the word “yet,” to it and the feeling will be completely different. It’s more likely that you keep trying and that you eventually master that skill. Most things in life are skills we can develop with intention, determination, persistence and patience. Giving up too soon, or not even trying is the easy way but also the most disempowering one that allows old patterns to keep repeating and have your life on autopilot.

I recommend that you start by observing the way you talk to yourself, the adjectives you use, the judgments you make and the affirmations you create and repeat to yourself, consciously or unconsciously. Every time you catch yourself being less than kind, compassionate, patient, understanding and loving, just stop. 

Notice what you’re doing, because most likely you’re feeding an old belief, preventing the real you from emerging. Then question those words or thoughts, imagine they come from the worst enemy who is attacking you or someone you deeply love. Wouldn’t you defend yourself or your loved one? What if that enemy is your own mind betraying you? 

We often form incorrect judgments about others based solely on surface-level interpretations of what we observe, without knowing the full story. Similarly, we are unaware of what lies within our vast subconscious minds and how past interpretations that we never questioned still linger and influence us.

Awareness is like a magnifying glass or microscope, providing clarity, focus, and perspective while anchoring us in the present—the only time we have the power to change, perceive, feel, and become our best selves. With this understanding, self-awareness and mindfulness can transform fear into love, chaos into peace, judgment into acceptance, resentment into forgiveness, and uncertainty into excitement. By choosing better thoughts, we take better actions, leading to new experiences that foster new beliefs, ultimately transforming our lives and turning the impossible into the possible. 

As Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, either way you’re right.”

The reason why merely memorizing and incessantly repeating affirmations does not help manifest our desired life is that we must believe what we say, feel the emotions the words convey, and trust wholeheartedly that what we want—if aligned with our purpose and the higher good—is on its way when the time is right. Patience, gratitude, and surrendering should be our closest companions as we sculpt our future.

There’s nothing stronger than a belief. That’s why when we believe we can accomplish something, we won’t give up, we’ll feel motivated and will find the way to make it happen.