So, which is it? Bold Moves or Trust the Journey?
How do we navigate the journey of uncertainty?
There’s this strange space between certainty and uncertainty. Do we let our path unfold and trust it will lead us where we’re meant to be, or do we take action over what we can control?
Lately I’ve found myself in this in-between. Letting things unfold brings peace, knowing what’s meant for us won’t pass us by. But we also need to act, even when it’s difficult—because we always have control over our mindset and some of our choices.
I have a tattoo that says, “It’s your world.” Reminding me that despite circumstances, we can still take action, leap into the unknown, try new things. Some decisions are only ours to make. I have another tattoo that says “Seek Discomfort”— a reminder to step outside my comfort zone even if it’s something as small as taking a cold shower. Because it’s like a muscle, and the more we repeatedly toe outside our comfort zone, the more growth and opportunities we get. It’s about consciously deciding to take on the challenge with a leap of faith and an "it’s your world" mindset.
But I also have a tattoo that says “La magie de la vie,” (The magic of life). To me, this represents letting go, trusting that life unfolds as it should. It eases the stress of decisions, reminding me that magic often happens when we surrender and have faith.
So, which is it?
We all face a dilemma: take matters into our own hands with decisive action, or letting go and going with the flow.
This dichotomy is not new. I don’t believe it’s an either-or answer. I think the best things in life happen from a balance of both.
In the book, The Alchemist, the boy’s family wanted him to follow a set path, but he chose another because he longed to travel. It’s his world! “They wanted me to be a priest, but I decided to become a shepherd." He says. Later the wise alchemist tells the boy, “There is only one way to learn. It’s through action.”
The story explores the balance between destiny and fate. How do we decide whether to act or let go? How do we navigate uncertainty?
The Alchemist’s answer is: by following the omens of the present. The secret is hidden in plain sight in— what we are feeling in the present. If we pay attention to those signs, we can take action and improve our present. By doing so, our future—whether fate, destiny, or maktub—inevitably improves. We find peace in knowing we were courageous enough to act, trusting that fate will guide us where we need to be.
Is it luck? People ask me this, especially about travel. Was it luck that I got invited on a trip to Europe with flights covered and ended up traveling for three months? That I worked remotely so could say yes to this opportunity? That a barista in Paris helped me find a place to live?
No, it wasn’t luck. It was a mix of action and faith. When our actions, words, and thoughts align—that’s when the magic of life happens.
These moments were the result of years of stepping outside my comfort zone, taking on challenges, and trusting that, one day, they might pay off. Embodying “it’s your world” by taking action, while trusting the universe to unfold as it should.
The Alchemist puts it this way: “When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream.”
But that desire must be authentic and genuine— more than a wish. It shapes what talk about, think about, and act upon. Thoughts, words, and actions are how we make magic happen. When those align, the universe places people and experiences in our path to guide us.
So, like yin and yang, it’s not an either-or. It’s not action or surrender. Perhaps it’s about finding a harmony in both, even when they seem contradictory.
If you’re like me, you want to know the outcome right away—to see if today’s actions will pay off in the future. I struggle with this a lot, but it’s why I wrote this piece. Reflecting helps us remember the best things happen when we take the long way home. When we try, even if things don’t work out. When we get up, adjust, and try again. When we trust that our winding paths between action and flow, and will lead us to a place of growth and contentment.