Recently, I’ve been struck by a thought that feels both profound and unsettling: what if everything I’ve done, am doing, or will ever do is already done? Like a script that’s been written for me long before I even realized it. It’s as though I’m living in a world where every choice, every action, is predetermined, and I’m just following along unknowingly.

I’ve heard whispers of this idea before, back in my hometown. You know, those old sayings passed down by elders—"everything is written"—as if our lives are set in stone. But this time, the thought hit me differently. It wasn’t just something I remembered or heard in passing; it was something I “felt”. Like really felt. I found myself questioning whether anything I’m doing is truly mine. It’s as if everything I “want” to do, or “have” to do, is already decided, and I’m merely going through the motions. The strangest part? There are things I try to force or manipulate—those moments where I think, "I’ll make this happen," but despite my efforts, they don’t occur until they’re supposed to. It feels like some events are stuck on their own timeline, and no matter how much I push, they only happen when the time is right. As if they were always meant to happen, but not before their appointed moment. This feeling, this knowing, connects me back to those words from my childhood: "everything is written."

It’s funny, isn’t it? I can’t bring myself to fully believe in this idea of fate or destiny, yet I also can’t completely dismiss it. It lingers in the background, nudging at me, asking me to pay attention. And here I am, writing about it, even though I’m unsure if I’m doing this because I want to or because I was always meant to. It’s hard to ignore the sense that some things feel scripted. Like this blog. I decided to write it—or did I? Who’s to say I didn’t write it because “you” were always meant to read it? And now you’re reading it, exactly as it was intended. Or maybe it’s not fate at all—maybe it’s just coincidence. But then again, why does it feel like something more?

I think what gets me the most is how much this idea—this feeling—messes with my sense of choice. On the surface, it seems like I’m making decisions. I wake up, I choose what to do with my day, I decide what I’ll focus on. But when I stop and think about it, I wonder: am I really choosing? Or am I simply following a path that’s already laid out, and these "choices" are just illusions?

I’ve come across scientific theories that flirt with this same idea. Some physicists suggest that the universe operates on cause-and-effect, a chain of events that began long before we existed and will continue long after. That means every decision, every action, is just part of this chain, with no room for deviation. It’s a deterministic view of the universe—one that strips away the idea of free will entirely. Then there’s the concept of time. We tend to think of time as a straight line: past, present, future, all flowing one after another. But what if time isn’t linear? Some theories in physics suggest that every moment—past, present, and future—exists simultaneously. So, maybe every event in our lives has already "happened," and we’re just moving through it, frame by frame, like a movie we’re experiencing in real-time. In that sense, everything truly is written. It’s just waiting for us to experience it.

But here’s where the paradox kicks in. I don’t entirely believe that everything is set in stone. There’s a part of me that resists the idea. It feels too mechanical, too rigid. Life doesn’t always seem like a straight line; there are too many moments that feel spontaneous, unexpected, and, yes, even within my control. But at the same time, I can’t help but notice how often things fall into place at exactly the right time, no matter how hard I’ve tried to make them happen sooner.

I guess what I’m saying is that I feel like I’m stuck in this tug-of-war between fate and free will. Some moments, I’m convinced that I’m steering the ship, making choices that will shape my future. And other times, it feels like I’m being carried along by a current I can’t control, no matter how hard I paddle. It’s a strange feeling, this dance between believing in destiny and asserting my own free will. But the more I think about it, the more I wonder if both things can be true at the same time. Maybe we do have some say in the way our lives unfold, but perhaps certain events are bound to happen no matter what. Perhaps some choices are ours, while others are part of a larger, cosmic script.

So, what does this mean for me, for any of us? Should we just surrender to whatever life has in store, trusting that whatever happens was always meant to happen? Or should we keep trying, keep striving, as if we’re the authors of our own stories? I don’t have a clear answer. But maybe it’s not about having a definite answer. Maybe the beauty is in the uncertainty, in the mystery of it all. I’ll continue living my life, trying to make choices, knowing full well that some things will happen exactly when they’re meant to, no matter what I do. And maybe that’s okay.

Because, in the end, whether everything is written or not, we’re still experiencing it. We’re still living, feeling, and moving forward. And who knows—maybe this blog was always meant to be written, just so you could read it. Or maybe we both just happened to meet here, in this moment, by choice. Either way, it makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

Everything is written—or is it? Peace✌️