--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When life presents you with a river, you…" description: "\"“When life presents you with a river, you cannot rely on luck to supply a boat; you have to dive into the water and swim. Stroke after stroke, you have..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/ricky-martin-1797_chance_when-life-presents-you-with-a-river-you_1635466.png" --- # When life presents you with a river, you cannot rely on… ![“When life presents you with a river, you cannot rely on luck to supply a boat; you have to dive into the water and swim. Stroke after stroke, you have to reach the other side. You have to create the course of your own destiny and not let chance determine your direction.” quote by Ricky Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/ricky-martin-1797_chance_when-life-presents-you-with-a-river-you_1635466.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/ricky-martin-1797_chance_when-life-presents-you-with-a-river-you_1635466.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/ricky-martin-1797_chance_when-life-presents-you-with-a-river-you_1635466.png) > ““When life presents you with a river, you cannot rely on luck to supply a boat; you have to dive into the water and swim. Stroke after stroke, you have to reach the other side. You have to create the course of your own destiny and not let chance determine your direction.”” [Ricky Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-martin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. You must actively shape your destiny rather than waiting for chance; effort and perseverance create success. **In simple terms:** Take control, work hard, don’t rely on luck. Key Takeaway Actively pursue goals. Themes self‑determination effort perseverance Mood determined inspirational Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - personal growth - adversity - goal achievement Key Concepts agency destiny resilience Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take today to steer your life? - How do you balance risk and effort? A Different Perspective Luck alone cannot guarantee outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-present/) [Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/) [Rely Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rely-luck-354489/) [River](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/river/) [Stroke Reach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stroke-reach-520892/) [Swim Stroke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swim-stroke-520893/) ## Related quotes > [You can't rely on luck. I've had some stages in my career where I've said we're going to wing it, and we've always ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-thorogood/you-can-t-rely-on-luck-i-ve-had-some-stages-in-my-career-where-i-ve/) [George Thorogood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-thorogood/) > [You have to hope that your opponents are unlucky. 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The present is the most perfect gift you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-g-bailey/you-don-t-need-to-be-perfect-in-your-life-but-always-be-present-in-it/) [Alison G. Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-g-bailey/) > [“Richard Davidson, a University of Wisconsin psychologist. He discovered that people who have greater activity in the left frontal lobe, compared to the right,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/richard-davidson-a-university-of-wisconsin-psychologist-he-discovered/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [“One of the illusions of life is that the present hour is not the critical decisive hour. Write it on your heart that every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/one-of-the-illusions-of-life-is-that-the-present-hour-is-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Life is about being present. Sometimes your home will demand more attention, and you should be there. Sometimes your work is more demanding. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-neumann/life-is-about-being-present-sometimes-your-home-will-demand-more/) [Adam Neumann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-neumann/) > [“Why did I write it down? In order to remember, of course, but exactly what was it I wanted to remember? How much of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/why-did-i-write-it-down-in-order-to-remember-of-course-but-exactly/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) ## More by Ricky Martin > [“I realized that all things in life are connected and I could no longer go about life without looking within.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-martin/i-realized-that-all-things-in-life-are-connected-and-i-could-no/) [Ricky Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-martin/) > [“Everyone has their own path, their own story through which they go at their own pace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-martin/everyone-has-their-own-path-their-own-story-through-which-they-go-at/) [Ricky Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-martin/) > [I used to look at gay men and think, 'I'm not like that, I don't want to be like that, that's not me.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-martin/i-used-to-look-at-gay-men-and-think-i-m-not-like-that-i-don-t-want-to/) [Ricky Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-martin/) > [I love witty. I love mental strength. Just being secure. With all the stuff I come with, you have to be someone who is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-martin/i-love-witty-i-love-mental-strength-just-being-secure-with-all-the/) [Ricky Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-martin/) > [“Some people may think it is wrong to live life so passionately, but the truth is that ever since I was a very little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-martin/some-people-may-think-it-is-wrong-to-live-life-so-passionately-but/) [Ricky Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-martin/) > [Love, acceptance, friends, two kids that I love. I have to take care of myself for them. I've also been a vegetarian for two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-martin/love-acceptance-friends-two-kids-that-i-love-i-have-to-take-care-of/) [Ricky Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-martin/) > [I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-martin/i-am-proud-to-say-that-i-am-a-fortunate-homosexual-man-i-am-very/) [Ricky Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-martin/) > [“Every single life matters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-martin/every-single-life-matters/) [Ricky Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-martin/) > [ It's tiny \[his butt\], what can I do? ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-martin/it-s-tiny-his-butt-what-can-i-do/) [Ricky Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-martin/) > [The country has to get together and has to do something about this. It reminds me of what happened last year with the tsunami.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-martin/the-country-has-to-get-together-and-has-to-do-something-about-this-it/) [Ricky Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-martin/) > [“Everything begins with silence. 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Both are part of life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-martin/it-is-important-to-remember-that-what-you-do-and-what-you-are-are-not/) [Ricky Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-martin/) > [Buddha's teaching are very simple, you don't have to break your head to understand the message. The part that I like the most from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-martin/buddha-s-teaching-are-very-simple-you-don-t-have-to-break-your-head/) [Ricky Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-martin/) [Explore all 205 Ricky Martin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-martin/) ## More Chance quotes > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [I understand it's promotion, but no one ever gave me a chance. 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But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [Love changes people, for better or for worse. You could look at it as a chance for you to change. The best kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-changes-people-for-better-or-for-worse-you-could-look-at-it-as-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It's not who, it's when”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-taubas/it-s-not-who-it-s-when/) [Alejandro Taubas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-taubas/) > [Childhood is Last Chance Gulch for happiness. After that, you know too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/childhood-is-last-chance-gulch-for-happiness-after-that-you-know-too/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [I thought my first few jobs would just be off, off, off, off, off broadway. 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