Fate vs. Action

So, as discussed earlier, some people believe 'everything happens for a reason'. Some people believe that, no matter how hard a person tries, one cannot screw up his/her fate - our mistakes 'make our fate', if you will (per Sex and the City).

However, there's another saying that goes 'fate only takes you so far - once you're there it's up to you to make it happen'. I mean, if one thinks about it, this makes complete sense on some level. Let's say if one wants to go into some career path or achieve some goal - some form of action is necessary. One can't become a professional athlete by just sitting on the couch eating cheetos watching tv and wishing for it.

So, I ask this - for those out there who believe in fate - what percentage is fate and what percentage is action? If something isn't meant to be, is there any way possible to force it? When should someone give up on something? Should someone just sit back and wait for something to happen? I think the semi-unanimous response to this would be 'no', but if we can't miss our fate, then won't things work out a certain way any way?

Your thoughts? I certainly don't know the answer to this one. However - I do remember that back in college, I had a crush on a fellow student (see blog post entitled 'Unrequited Love'). A large part of me, at the time, believed in fate and that if he was meant for me, we'd somehow end up together. However, I wrote him an email letting him know how I felt to take action (despite my beliefs that things would work out if necessary) so I would have peace of mind knowing that, if we never got together, I did all that I could and I could never sit around wondering 'what if'. Anyhow.