Talent, Destiny, and Exercise

The Flowers Of Guidance Volume One Wisdom and Goodness
It is predestined for a date tree to produce dates. We can never yield oranges from a palm tree, but we can produce quality dates through proper nourishment.

The amount of wisdom one possesses is strictly dependent on the intellectual structure of every individual and their talent, which is determined by divine destiny and fate. However, we must not forget the notion of exercise, practice, and effort because striving in exercise and development strengthens the destined talent. For example, the destiny of an apple tree is producing apples; and it is predestined regardless of the efforts. It is not going to produce an apricot, for instance, but, because of its genus and with proper fertilization and care, that very apple tree will yield significant, succulent fruit. On the contrary, negligence will produce small, weak, and withered fruit, but its destiny will not have been altered because apples will still grow. An apple tree will yield apples, and an apricot tree will yield apricots.

Effort and exercise are also beneficial to train innate talents. However, it will not alter destiny. Negligence, on the other hand, weakens destined and innate talent. Education and training are also crucial to this very principle and regulation.