Choose to Take the Journey

“Tận nhân lực mới tri thiên mệnh.”
“Only when you have put in your best effort, will you know your true fate.”
-Vietnamese proverb

You see it in the movies all the time. You very seldomly see it in real life. But when you do, it is a charming vision to behold. What I’m talking about is the sight of an old woman and an old man, maybe in their mid-80’s, walking hand-in-hand in the park. It is a rare occurrence, and becoming even rarer.

Wouldn’t that be nice, to find someone with whom you can grow old together? With the divorce rate skyrocketing all over the world, the prospect of loving someone “til death do you part” seems all the more elusive.

It is an enviable and satisfying destination, but I believe it is merely half the story. The other half involves the chapters of your life that comprise the journey towards that destination. So as important as it is to find someone who you can trust to stick with you to the end, it is equally important to find a suitable partner who will make your journey a robust one. Someone who can illuminate your spirit when it dims. Someone who can be strong when you are weak. Someone you can rely on when one person is simply not enough.

But before you bring your critical eye to bear on your partner or your prospects, take a good look at yourself first. If you are highly selective, then bring that same judgment upon yourself. Everyone is flawed, but maybe some of your flaws can be brought to an acceptable level. Everyone has strengths, and those are what you should consistently capitalize on.

When you can look in the mirror and honestly say to yourself that you are not just taking the easy way out… that you are not just expecting something for nothing… that you are doing everything you can to realize your deepest potential… only then should you leave the rest to Heaven.

Maybe you will end up like that old couple in the park. Maybe you won’t. No one knows the future. But either way you’ll rest easy knowing you gave it your best shot.