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01 - Life happens for you – A quote that changed how I see life

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    Ho Van Phuc
    Twitter

"Life does not happen to you. Life happens for you."
— Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey speech thumbnail
A moment from Jim Carrey's speech that stopped me in my tracks.

🌱 The quote that made me pause

I stumbled upon this quote from a speech by Jim Carrey. Just a short sentence — but it made me stop. I went silent for a few seconds, then played it again. And again… several more times.

It echoed in my head as if I had discovered a secret. I immediately shared it with a friend and said, “I'm grateful I saw this video,” along with a screenshot from the speech.

🔍 What it means to me

  • "Life does not happen to you" — Life isn’t something that happens to you, nor is it a string of events forcing you to suffer.
  • "Life happens for you" — Life unfolds for you, for your growth, awareness, and transformation.

This quote doesn't deny the pain, struggles, or failures we go through. It simply invites us to shift our perspective:— from being a "victim," a "passive accepter," or someone who just "endures," to becoming a "learner," an "active participant," and a "changer."

Instead of asking:

"Why is this happening to me?"
I’ve learned to ask:
"What is this trying to teach me?"

💡 How it inspired me

I’ve been through:

  • A failed startup
  • Delivering food in the blazing sun and pouring rain to make ends meet
  • Learning to code during a quiet, lonely period of life
  • Feeling completely lost and unsure of where I was going

But now, when I look back, I realize: each of those experiences happened for me — to help me grow, become more patient, and understand myself better.

Without those tough days, there wouldn’t be the version of me who’s writing this today — with gratitude and the urge to share.

📣 Why I wrote this

I wrote this as a reminder to myself — and a message to you: if you’re going through a tough time, feeling lost, or life seems unfair…

Maybe it’s happening for you, not against you.

You deserve hope, peace, and trust in yourself. And maybe, like me, all it takes is hearing the right words at the right moment.

Thank you for reading.
If this quote touched you the way it touched me, I hope you’ll pass it on to someone who needs it.
— Phuc