This quote by Sallust suggests that each individual is responsible for their own success or failure in life. It suggests that one's destiny remains in their own hands and that they have the power to form their own future. It encourages people to take ownership of their lives and to do something about it to create the life they want. It recommends that the choices we make and the actions we take will identify our future. It likewise implies that we must take duty for our own successes and failures, instead of blaming external elements. Eventually, this quote encourages us to take control of our lives and to be proactive in developing our own destiny.
"There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures"
"A lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a mere working mason; if he possesses some knowledge of these, he may venture to call himself an architect"