There is more to us than our personal history.
What we have experienced is only a small part of who we are.
It is an even smaller part of who we are meant to be or are capable of becoming.
While our experiences inevitably shape our attitudes, opinions, and expectations, they are not the sole determining factor in these things.
Everything about who we are and how we relate to the world is affected by our experiences.
But, we also have a say in the matter.
We get to decide who, what, and how we want to be.
Our histories inform and influence us, but they do not control us.
We must never let our will and our spirit be so broken by our experiences that we give up all control of our mind and emotions.
Our past is a foregone conclusion.
We cannot change it.
Our future, however, is unwritten.
It is pure potential.
We are pure potential.
Our fate is not dictated by what has been.
Our fate is dictated by what can be, by what we can be, and by the actions we take to shape our future.