Free Will vs Destiny

The question of destiny or free will is one i still cannot answer... I have switched between the two more times than I can remember. Right now I believe thats its a combination of both working in harmony to burn karma from previous lifes while still giving you the "choice" of how you wish to learn those lessons.

I once read something that made a lot of sense at the time... it said we can look at our lives as a ship and there are three options for where we fit in:
1. We are the captain of the ship, steering it where we want... choosing our own destiny
2. We work in the ship, but can not control where the ship is headed
3. We walk the ship, choose where are when we want to eat, sleep, and whether we want to stay on the ship or jump overboard. We have no control of where the ship is headed but we have the choice whether we want to stay on board or not.

1. If it is only free will, how can one explain synchronicity and signs? How do things always seem to happen for a reason and why do so many people "choose" the "wrong" path.
2. The problem I find with destiny is that if everything is destined how we actually learn these lessons - we're forced into situations that we have to deal with. We have no control over our lives as they are predetermined and were just along for the ride.
3. The combination. This seems to make the most sense to me. I believe when we are choosing a life before we come to earth, we choose one that has lessons that we will learn from, that puts us in challenging situation to make us grow. So when we come to earth we already have made the choices we just need to understand why. Signs and synchronicity are there to help us learn and understand why.

Another way I see it is that we are here on earth with free will, and destiny is a misinterpretation. Destiny is taken too literally and the idea of destiny cancels out free will and choices. But if you understand that you are part of a higher being connected to everyone and everything else, call it God, call it the Universe, call it whatever you want, when you make a choice you follow a certain path. But this higher being knows where that path will lead i.e. making it destined - that path is destined to something. So you are destined to learn lessons, but how you want to learn them is the choice you make.

Another option is that we could have chosen this life because of the potential and opportunity it presents us with to burn karma and grow, but whether we stay on that path is up to us...

Destiny vs Free Will... the battle of choice, or of no choice at all...

"We are not free to be anyone we wish, we are only free to be who we are."