Last year, I visited an exhibition dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci. Before that day, my understanding of him was shallow and textbook-like: Renaissance genius, artist of the Mona Lisa. It was only when I witnessed the sheer breadth and depth of his work that I was made aware of his genius. Architecture, physics, anatomy, arts, mathematics, engineering — he excelled in every aspect.
I was in awe of his talent and, honestly, ashamed of myself. Compared to him, what had I done with my life? How can he accomplish so much, while I struggle to think of what to eat for dinner? The contrast was almost unbearable. A casual stroll to the museum suddenly turned into an existential crisis. As I was thinking of how my life seemed so meaningless, I stumbled upon his quote:
"It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things." — Leonardo da Vinci
Let's dissect this together. The first part is what great people don't do: they don't sit back and wait for opportunities to fall out of the sky. They don't wait for the perfect weather to step outside. They don't wait for permission. They don't wait.
Waiting is a trap, and perfection is the chains. Too often, we are caught up with building the perfect plan, the pristine timeline and logistics before doing anything. As if ideation can suddenly transform into actualisation if we marinate it long enough. But every moment and energy we spend on thinking and planning could have been used to take action — fumbling perhaps, imperfectly at first, but moving forward nonetheless. Great people don't obsess over getting it right the first time. They begin, and in beginning, they build.
The second part is what great people do: they go out and happen to things. For most of my life, I let things happen to me. I waited for the right moment, for life to come knocking at my door. It's no wonder I often felt my life was dull compared to others. I was waiting for life to begin, not realising it had already started.
What captivated me about that quote was the way it offered me a sense of control. For so long, I believed my spark was cosmically assigned. I thought my only job was to wait until destiny tapped me on the shoulder. Until I waited long enough to realise that the spark is not meant to find us, it's meant to be found by us.
To "happen to things" doesn't require a grand entrance; it just needs movement, momentum. It can mean starting a project you've been postponing, reaching out to someone, or learning something new simply because it sparks curiosity. That's how greatness is built: not through waiting for perfection, but by showing up and shaping the imperfect ones.
Greatness is not reserved for the chosen few. It is simply the accumulation of choices — of moving, of acting, of deciding to shape life rather than let it shape you. In the end, the difference between a life that feels empty and a life that feels full is our willingness to fill it with action.
So start the small project. Have the awkward talk. Take the first step without knowing what the tenth looks like. That is how we reclaim control. Life won't wait for us to live it. And neither should we. Go out and happen to things.