your life is not written with words

In Patrick Ness’ novel, “A Monster Calls”, a seemingly frightening but ultimately benevolent monster offers the main character, who is experiencing great trials in his life, the following advice:

“You do not write your life with words…You write it with actions. What you think is not important. It is only important what you do.”

The fate of any aspiration has little to do with what you can say about it (no matter how good you are at talking about it), and everything to do with what you are willing (and not willing) to do about it.