--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We gallop through our lives like circus…" description: "\"We gallop through our lives like circus performers balancing on two speeding side-by-side horses--one foot is on the horse called \"fate,\" the other on ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/elizabeth-gilbert-131_circus_we-gallop-through-our-lives-like-circus_1639257.jpg" --- # We gallop through our lives like circus performers… ![“We gallop through our lives like circus performers balancing on two speeding side-by-side horses--one foot is on the horse called "fate," the other on the horse called "free will." And the question you have to ask every day is--which horse is which? Which horse do I need to stop worrying about…” quote by Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/elizabeth-gilbert-131_circus_we-gallop-through-our-lives-like-circus_1639257.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/elizabeth-gilbert-131_circus_we-gallop-through-our-lives-like-circus_1639257.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/elizabeth-gilbert-131_circus_we-gallop-through-our-lives-like-circus_1639257.jpg) > “We gallop through our lives like circus performers balancing on two speeding side-by-side horses--one foot is on the horse called "fate," the other on the horse called "free will." And the question you have to ask every day is--which horse is which? Which horse do I need to stop worrying about because it's not under my control, and which do I need to steer with concentrated effort?” [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life is a tension between destiny and personal agency; we must identify which aspects we can influence and which we must accept. **In simple terms:** Balance fate and free will; focus effort where you have control. Key Takeaway Identify controllable goals; let go of the rest. Themes self‑determination control acceptance Mood reflective motivational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - relationship decisions - health habits - creative projects Key Concepts philosophy psychology agency Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of your life feel predetermined? - How can you shift effort to what you truly control? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on control can cause anxiety; sometimes uncertainty yields growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Circus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circus/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Fate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fate/) [Free will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-will/) [Horse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horse/) [Performers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performers/) [Stop worrying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-worrying/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) ## Related quotes > [“Destiny, I feel is also a relationship-a play between grace and willful self-effort. 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