Book excerpt: Drawing on the experiences of his life, traditional wisdom stories, poetic and metaphoric language, etymology, and his personal brand of scholarship, Michael Meade leads us to an undeniable truth: that the only story we came here to live is our own. Often called "an instant classic," in this newly revised and expanded edition of Fate and Destiny, Meade has taken his original message of the uniqueness of each life to new levels of meaning and inspiration. By elaborating key themes and polishing the gems of wisdom, Meade gives us an even more powerful opportunity to change ourselves and the world. Meade shows how the limitations of family and fate form the inner threads from which our individual destiny must emerge. He explains how our wounds can become doorways to our deepest gifts and how our greatest obstacles are intended to lead us to a treasure divinely seeded within us before birth. Amidst the current turmoil of the world, Fate and Destiny speaks directly to young people seeking to find a genuine path in life and trying to awaken to the dream they carry inside. At the same time, stories of the elders help older people find new ways to value their lives and touch the threads of their own destiny. Fate and Destiny offers everyone penetrating insights for those caught in life's inevitable struggles and shows the wisdom of elders depends upon remembering the spirit of eternal youth. -- Provided by publisher.