While thinking that we have the power to change our lives is liberating, I think that our life is the result of many factors, including our own decisions and will. But, on the other hand, I think it is wise to recognize that we are born with some conditioning and that also environment influences our lives and that sometimes it works in ways we cannot control. That is why I love the serenity prayer:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.