Last night I started reading An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield. Towards the beginning of the book’s introduction there are two powerful lines:

I wasn’t destined to be an astronaut. I had to turn myself into one.

Hadfield did turn himself into an astronaut and ended up spending time on the International Space Station. But the power in those lines is not in what they say about Hadfield himself. The power comes from the insight they give to everyone else.

We are not marked by destiny. If we want to become something we must work at it.

Change the word astronaut to whatever it is you want to become and the two lines serve as something to motivate you personally. A reminder that only you can create your future. A description of the job you must do. A destination and a path to be taken.

I wasn’t destined to be a(n) [ ___________ ]. I had to turn myself into one.

Fill the blank…