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Something that strikes our attention is how the language mirrors our way of thinking, and viceversa, our mental structures modify the language after a certain period of time. In Arabic language the word for destiny is "qadar", and there are other words related to it, for example "qudra" power or capability to do something, or verbs like "qadir" with the same meaning.  Somehow, unconsciously, when we say "I cannot" or "I can", we relate it to destiny. Perhaps this is the reason why the Arabic culture is accused of being dominated by the sense of fate. Destiny is considered to be omnipotent, and it is beyond the reach of man.

Nevertheless, although our country utilizes the Arabic language and has many important cultural Arabic roots, it was never exclusively an "Arabic nation". The Egyptian tradition, on the contrary, always shows the great capability of our people for initiative. In theory the pyramids could not be built, and yet they were!, and Egyptians were able to create large and long canals for irrigation, as well as feeding artificial lakes like the one in Fayum. Were not in our culture the words "I cannot" or "it is impossible", for the Egyptians always understood that nothing is impossible except for powerless people, and that the limit for qualifying something as impossible lies not outside, but inside of us.

Indeed, destiny influences our life, but we can also change destiny, at least in part... A passenger navigating in a ship traveling from London to New York cannot modify its direction, but he can devote his time, while traveling, to read, to study, to make friends, to help, and to create new projects to begin when he arrives to the port. Therefore, the opportunity is in our hands to change whatever can be changed, and we will never know what may change if we do not try it.

Enough of placing obstacles to ourselves. We have to repeat every day "I can", I can because I am the master of my destiny. God Willing.