Free will absolutely exists and our lives are shaped by it and the exercise of free will by so many that we come in contact with. I also believe that much of our lives were mapped out by our souls before we incarnated but what most call life plans or soul contracts I like to call improv scripts. If you are interested in reading more about my thoughts on these matters there is my https://medium.com/illumination-curated/life-is-school-for-the-soul-9b081dbe8453 and my https://medium.com/know-thyself-heal-thyself/matters-of-life-and-death-bc9752a36bff and for my recent thoughts on paths to truth, I recently wrote about how science, philosophy and spirituality need to have a three party interdependent relationship--no branch has a monopoly on truth https://marcus17043.medium.com/m%C3%A9nage-%C3%A0-trois-between-science-spirituality-and-philosophy-a634f5446364