Читать книгу The Book of Destinies - Chetan Parkyn - Страница 9

FOREWORD

EVERY GREAT STORY has a theme running right through it. We know this from the books we read, the movies we watch, and the tales told around the campfire. But our lives — the human stories that unfold in real time day by day — also carry a central theme, a narrative thread that determines the type of person we are and the kind of existence we’re here to experience. The life we are destined to lead.

William Jennings Bryan said that “destiny is not a matter of chance but a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.” But our pivotal choices are surely better informed if we know we are headed in the right direction, walking the right path. And that’s where The Book of Destinies comes in.

As this wonderful guide goes on to explain, there are actually 192 possible “incarnations” — or Life Themes — that govern who we are. Whichever one applies to us, it is woven through the essence of our character and personality since the moment of birth, foreshadowing our soul’s purpose. Once our individual theme is known, we can then embark on a journey of self-revelation, exploring how we can best utilize that theme’s message in order to fulfill our time on Earth.

Stories need a meaning, as do we as people. But sooner or later, most of us encounter some level of self-inquiry that often includes the vexing questions: “Who am I? What is my role here?” I, too, have been there, propelled by a fervent belief that everyone is created with an inborn purpose and a unique way to unlock our highest potential. At this stage of my journey, as a seeker of wisdom and an avid student of the human condition, it is not often that I am truly surprised with the revelation of new meaning about myself. But then I discovered the profound work of Chetan Parkyn, which is why I am happy to introduce this book detailing each of the 192 Life Themes. In it, Chetan leads each of us to our untold inner story. Once discovered, our Life Theme will serve as a call from our soul to wake up to the destiny we were born to fulfill.

It was my great pleasure to experience a series of three life-changing readings with Chetan in 2014, and when he pointed out my Life Theme — the theme of Contagion — it described me to a T. It made sense on so many levels and echoed the spiritual drive that has been the central purpose for my being. What was particularly amazing was the fact that he had absolutely no way of knowing the most intimate aspects of my nature, and yet he revealed many dimensions of my innermost self, working only from my birth information.

That same information — birth date, time, and place — can now guide each of us to our unique Life Themes, courtesy of this book and the remarkable exploration contained within its insightful pages. If you have read his first book, Human Design: Discover the Person You Were Born to Be, you will already be familiar with the lightbulb moments that illuminate our innermost self. It’s as if he is reading our design for life, as archived in some magical scroll at the exact time we entered this universe.

I have had the good fortune to spread my work and teachings to millions of people worldwide, first through the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, which has sold over 500 million copies in multiple languages, and later through The Success Principles™. I have devoted my life to empowering people with the principles, strategies, and skills laid out in each of those books and demonstrating that we each have the capability to unlock our greatest potential and achieve success and happiness. I know that Chetan is dedicated to that same outcome. It makes abundant sense that if we are to be in control of our own success and personal fulfillment, then understanding our purpose, our mission, and our essence is a key component of whatever our strategy needs to be.

Prepare to recognize yourself within this invaluable guide. Because once we are led to our Life Theme, many things will make sense or slot into place. One other layer of the great mystery of life will have been stripped away.

Those of you who know me and my work will perhaps relate to this excerpt of Chetan’s portrayal of my Life Theme: “The depth of your commitment to making a contribution that benefits humanity will be either tested or enhanced by your desires.... You are the quintessential torchbearer who loves to inspire others to pay attention to assets and ideals that resonate....You delight in passing the flame of your own excitement to everyone around you...[and] expand trust, prosperity, cocreation, and all manner of potential experiences to the entire world.” Yep, that sounds like me!

My work with Chetan provided me with “chicken soup for the soul” of an entirely unique nature — my life’s purpose was suddenly decoded and laid bare, in easy-to-understand language, allowing me to come to the inescapable conclusion that my soul had provided a perfect plan for orchestrating my life’s journey, even before I was born.

As a success coach and mentor, my passion is to inspire others, show them how, and point the way. Chetan’s great gift, as a master of the Human Design system, is to guide people to the core of their innermost truth and awaken them to knowing and trusting their life purpose. I can’t recommend highly enough his work and this powerful success tool to guide your footsteps.

Having an awareness of our own Life Theme is just the beginning, though. We can also delight in reading the themes of those we love, helping us to better understand them and fully embrace their individuality. Having unequivocal acceptance of the people closest to us, and knowing that they deeply understand and accept who we are, has the potential to take our relationships to new levels of deep connection and profound fulfillment; furthermore, knowing the Life Themes of family members and business associates provides a new dimension of acceptance and positive cooperation that can only contribute to our success.

There is a saying attributed to the great philosopher Aristotle that “knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” The fact that you are reading this book means you are taking the next step on your path to greater self-knowledge and wisdom. I welcome you to the journey and celebrate your success. Now, I invite you to turn these pages and step into the greatest story ever told: the story of your life.

JACK CANFIELD