Why Are You Who You Are?

Ever wonder why you do what you do?   

I often wonder why I ended up doing what I did.  

How much of what you have done is based on luck and chance?

There are not simple answers to these simple questions.  

I think we set driection in our life based on many influences in our life.   We do not choose our parents and our circumstances.   

However it is what we do with what we have makes a difference.   

Many people are successful because they were in the right place at the right time rather than some grand plan.

I often wonder if I had chosen a different road when i came to a fork in the road how my life would have different.   

I often take credit for things I have achieved and on reflection realize most things have happen by chance.  However I think we can learn from life but do we?  

I am in a philosophical mode.   However I think it is useful to ponder these eternal questions occasional.

  1. Graham Reply

    We don’t always choose our circumstances. Sometimes where we end up is not where we planned to be. Like is partly directed by us and partly luck of the draw…
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF7BGCjqRdw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

  2. Michael Coward Reply

    It reminds me of the “heredity vs environment” discussion and also, for me relates to the current “occupy” movement.
    When we ask the question “How much control do I have over my own life?”, I picture the famous Bell Curve. For sure there are a small number of people (the true number depends on where you live, I suppose) whose current circumstances make change or progress very difficult. Likewise, there are a small number of people whose current circumstances make their choices very, very easy. All the rest, that is most of us, are pretty much in control and can find the means to make and implement choices. I think, though that even if we have the will to change, we aren’t comfortable with introspection. In fact, I think that we are often discouraged by others from doing it. To give an example, my spouse recently explained to me how her T’ai chi instructor refuses to allow the question “Why?” during her sessions (imagine how the discussion went when she tried to enforce this rule at home). According to the instructor, we are not permitted to question our effort, not permitted to doubt our decisions and not really permitted to judge ourselves or others. We are just supposed to “be”.
    I think that for most, the path to peace and tranquility is very straight, very narrow and requires very little analysis. We have an idea who we are and we’re comfortable with that image.

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