Edward E. Wilson

Probably the most important decision you can make in your life is whether you’re going to take an active approach or passive one. A passive approach is when you look at life as if it happens TO you. An active approach is when you look for what you can DO to have the experiences you want to have.

Taking an active approach doesn’t mean that everything is magically going to go your way, most things are still out of your control. What it means is you’ve taken the time to figure out what it is you actually want and you’ve made a plan and take actions to try and make that happen.

And when things inevitably do not go according to your plan, you don’t stop and say woe is me. Okay, you can say woe is me a little. But then you adapt, adjust, or make a new plan to move towards what you want.

This works best if you are open, flexible, and persistent.

Be open to whatever is happening, even the obstacles in your way, but also be open about what you really want out of life, with yourself and with others. Flexibility is required because if what you try doesn’t work you need for it to look for different ways to approach the situation. Persistence is necessary to just keep trying even if you start to feel discouraged.

There is a zigzaginess to this approach to life but it gives you far better odds of having the experiences you want to have.