"Destiny - I feel, is also a relationship - 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 consequence. Man is neither entirely a puppet of the gods, nor is he entirely the captain of his own destiny; he's a little of both. 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 is on the horse called "free will." And the question you have to ask every day is - which horse is it? 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?"

Elizabeth Gilbert - Eat, Pray, Love