"Timshel" or "thou mayest" is what John Steinbeck's East of Eden has so aptly taught me, because regardless of what you're given and though there are things you cannot control, you may choose how you are to proceed. This is not absolute nor is it complete guidance but it is a reminder that there is a choice.
I highly recommend East of Eden; it is a fantastic epic that takes you on a drive through a range of different lives. Steinbeck offers you a multiplicity of characters. Some characters are more similar to others but as a whole, the book gives you great insight into a nice spectrum of inward and outward human behavior.