I Am Me, My Circumstances And My Decisions Define Me
The title of this article is a nod to the famous quote by the Spanish philosopher, José Ortega y Gasset. In a very summarized way, he thought that the union of the “I” and the circumstance was indissoluble, that it was impossible to understand one without the other.
the product of our decisions is conditioned by us and our decisions, but also by the particularities of the moment and place.
if I don’t save her, I won’t save myself “
We must therefore learn to move between these paths with their barbed wire to build our lives, to take a suitable opportunity out of each circumstance.
Circumstance: ‘what is around’
The word circumstance includes a much broader framework than we think: family, society, culture, a specific body with its physical and psychological characteristics, personality and character, etc. The “I”, in fact, is formed by understanding its own circumstance and by giving it an explanation linked to that of others.
Our identity, therefore, as a study by the State University of New York at Cortland reveals, is established by that interaction between our cognitive processes and the external factors to which we give meaning and which in one way or another , it always influences us.
once we accept what is around us, we are given the freedom to focus decisions towards a present that fulfills us and a future that enriches us.
In this way, our experiences are shaped and our actions turn towards the interests, desires and dreams that we have. At that moment, circumstances and decisions define us and place us before the world and with respect to others.
The positive and negative of the circumstance
The circumstances, we know, are not perfect and we are not always surrounded by the right environment for everything to go as we would like. Often, we have to decide with millions of adversities against us, and others it seems that everything flows and that the decision is clear.
However, in either case, we will end up deciding and saving the circumstance itself. After all, as Viktor Frankl, the father of logotherapy, pointed out to us, happiness must be followed and built with firm intentions. Even beyond the context itself.
In this sense, we know that we have good and bad moments and that they are equally necessary for us to feel stability : it is beneficial to remember that joy and sadness travel on the same train. Even when fear or sadness block us and make it difficult for us to move, we are obliged to continue: not even deciding, is making a decision.
Decision is also not to take it
Any situation, stage or moment that we live implies decisions and as such, we are of your product. From having a coffee in the afternoon to the time we set the alarm to get up. These seem like insignificant actions and yet they can mark us the rest of the day.
The same thing happens with decisions that we believe are important: it is not good to lengthen the time to make them, but it is appropriate to ask the right questions, give yourself the necessary answers and be brave to face them : accepting responsibilities and knowing how to listen to yourself are two important keys.
Only when we have clear goals and break them down into daily objectives can we be sure that no one will make the decision for us. We can make mistakes and it is good to do so, but we will undoubtedly have the satisfaction of being the owners of those mistakes. In a way, beauty has to do with the absence of a script pointing in the right direction.
Let’s reflect on it. Let’s not limit ourselves to being mere victims of our own circumstances. Let’s take control as much as possible and build our trails, our future, happiness.
