I made a little plaque once to hang on the wall, it said: "Realizing I am not responsible for the outcomes frees to me to do the footwork for which I am responsible." It wasn't until recently that I really got it. I AM NOT IN CONTROL OF HOW MY LIFE TURNS OUT. While this proclamation is terrifying on one level it is also the key to freedom.
We are told from the time we are very little that we are in control of our own destiny - a quintessential Western ethic. It is a big fat lie. Bill Gates didn't get rich because he was the ultimate computer geek or business wizard (although he may very well be both). He got rich because he was in the right place at the right time and took advantage of the opportunity.
I think that is the best we can do: do the footwork, prepare for the opportunity and seize it if it comes our way. We have no way of knowing what life has in store for us. We have to learn to trust in ourselves, that we can handle whatever life dishes out. We have to learn to be present in the here and now. We are guaranteed nothing else.
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