I'm a big fan of Rumi. Life is a mystery that is meant to be uncovered, yet so often we look at life as a series of pragmatic decisions to keep ourselves safe, secure, and comfortable. We forget that life is a risk - but these risks bring vitality, freedom, and love.
Like your title suggests, we live within a story and we can make of it what we want. We can either be the hero that sets out to adventures unknown, or we can be the people left behind that are too afraid to dare.