We are like actors in a play. The divine will has assigned us our roles in life without consulting us. Some of us will act in a short drama, others in a long one. We might be assigned the part of a poor person, a cripple, a distinguished celebrity or public leader, or an ordinary private citizen.
Although we can’t control which roles are assigned to us, it must be our business to act our given role as best as we possibly can and to refrain from complaining about it. Where you find yourself and in whatever circumstances, give an impeccable performance.
If you are supposed to be a reader, read; if you are supposed to be a writer, write.
~ Epictetus, The Art of Living
Yup. The thing is, this depends entirely on every person being totally honest with themselves and totally un-deluded by, well, all sorts of things.
How do you know you are a reader? How do you know you are a writer? It takes years to find the definition of your outline, the definition of yourself, and even then only the most conscientious (and conscious) really ever do. Some it happens early on, some it never happens at all.
And, also crucially, accept what you discover! How hard it is to accept you are X in a world where X is looked down upon, considered inferior… How hard it is to assume Y in a world where being Y is the most sought after, and fought for, position…
etc.