Considered a New Age icon, anthropologist Carlos Castaneda authored a series of books that explored the topics of introspection and transformation. Here, he suggests that resilience and victimhood both require effort — but only one leads to personal growth. Our mindset, Castaneda believed, is not a passive state of being; it’s an active choice we make every day. The same energy we spend on worrying or doubting ourselves can be redirected toward building up our self-love and inner strength. It’s not about how hard we work but where we focus those efforts.

Rumi’s poetry often reads like a roadmap to a rich interior life, paving a path to finding joy in sorrow, clarity in confusion, and, in this quote, optimism in uncertainty. Born in the 13th century in present-day Afghanistan, the spiritual influencer was a preeminent figure in Sufi mysticism. His vast body of work blended profound spirituality with practical wisdom, and though most of it was originally composed in Persian, its translations have traversed cultures and centuries. Here, Rumi extolls the unknown not as something to fear, but as something alive with possibility. The more we let go of control, the more space we make for discovery, transformation, and connection. Uncertainty is a constant part of life, so it’s best to embrace it with awe and wonder, allowing it to be a guide instead of a roadblock.