The phrase "everything happens for a reason" uncovers the most truth when applied not to some force of fate, but rather to the human will. To take it one more step, "everything that does not happen similarly fails to occur for a reason."

We're strong-minded people, really. We don't like being told what to do; we prefer to choose our own fates, our own actions, our own interests. So when we choose not to do something, it's almost never due to some bizarre innate lack of motivation. It's because we've lost the sense of faith and belief that what we are doing matters. It's here that we lose our desire to act. As I've said, we're independent beings; we prefer to act with conviction.