Destiny is a play between divine grace and willful self-effort. Half of it you have no control over; half of it is absolutely in your hands, and your actions will show measurable consequences.
We gallop through our lives like circus performers balancing on two speeding side by side horses – one foot is on the horse called “fate”, the other on the horse called “free will”.
And the question you have to ask every day is — which horse is which?
Which horse do I need to stop worrying about because it’s not under my control, and which do I need to steer with concentrated effort?
from Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert