聽神談【每個人的命運與天賦是如何決定的？】
尼爾(替16歲的派特瑞克和17歲的瑪麗亞問)：
我的人生是受命運控制的嗎？
我們的命運是為我們已計劃好了的嗎？
絕對不是。永遠不會。你的人生是由你掌控的。那正是我在這本書一開始時我回答有關「誰去做什麼或成為什麼」時的意思。
你還記得那個問題嗎？我再說一次 …
「你怎麽决定誰當搖滾天后艾拉妮絲(Alanis)或麥可．喬登(Michael Jordan)，而誰又過平凡無奇的生活？」
以下是我的回答：
「我並不决定誰當艾拉妮絲，誰又過平凡無奇的生活。是你們在决定。你們現在就在做這些選擇。問題在於，你們不知道你們在這樣做——或如何在做。」
事實上，你們好幾個人問過同樣的問題。以下是其他人問的問題：
當你創造人類時，你是如何决定給每一個人哪一種的才能？是什麽讓你給席琳迪翁(Celine Dion)了不起的聲音，而不是使她成爲一位花式溜冰的金牌得主或是醫生？
這可能是我到來到這裡要告訴你的最重要事情之一，因此，讓我再重複我剛才所說的：
我不做那些决定，是你們做的决定。(I do not make those decisions. You do.)
這麽想它吧，在每個當下的片刻你都在重新創造你自己。你在畫你自己的畫像。那張你在作畫的畫布就是人生本身(Life Itself)。那些技巧、才能、能力、個性特質、身體質素以及外在環境都是你會使用的色彩。我供給畫布，你選擇色彩 (I supply the canvas; you choose the colors.)。
摘自《與神對話青春版 》第7章
Neale: Is my life controlled bt fate? Is our destiny planned out for us?
Absolutely not. Never. Your life, Patrick, is controlled by you. That is what I meant when I answered the question at the beginning of this book about who gets to do or be what.
Do you remember the question? Here it is again...
How do youe decide who gets to be Alanus Morissette ot Michael Jordan, and who gets to live regular lives?
And here is the answer I gave:
"I do not decide who gets to be Alanis, and who gets to live regular lives. You do. You are making those choices right now. The problem is, you don't know that you're doing it—or how.”
Actually, this same question was asked by a number of you. Here's the way someone else put it:
Neale: When you create people, How do you decide which talents to give each person? What made you give Celine Dion her great voice, rather than making her a gold medallist figure staker or doctor?
This might be one of the most important things that I've come here to tell you, so let me repeat what I just said.
I do not make those decisions, Paul. You do.
Think of it this way. You are creating yourself anew in every single Moment of Now. You are painting a portrait of yourself. The canvas on which you will paint is Life Itself. The skills, talents, and abilities, characteristics, physical qualities, and outer circumstances are the colors you will use. I supply the canvas; you choose the colors.
