Self-Reflection

School Assignment...

SELF REFLECTION

Examining one’s life is a lifelong journey of self-reflective introspection and is highly important regarding individual growth. As Socrates stated, “…an unexamined life is not worth living.” I agree wholeheartedly with Socrates’ statement. I believe that in life humans need to be introspective, look within themselves, and question the things they are doing. I believe self-evaluations are important to growth in life. If one is not questioning or re-evaluating themselves then they are stagnant. And everyone knows anything that stays stagnant eventually leads to death. 

I am still living. I am constantly growing, changing, and learning from my mistakes. One can’t learn from their mistakes if they aren’t able to check in with themselves, do some critical thinking, and learn from the things that did not work in the past.

I have often wondered, “What am I here for? What am I doing with my life?” I continuously examine myself, sometimes on a daily basis. Sometimes I will ask myself, “Why did I do that?” Or questioning why I respond to certain situations the way I do.

There have been times when I’ve felt like I have taken things for granted. When that occurred, I often lost that thing I took for granted and when it was no longer in my possession, I had to ponder what I did wrong and why did I allow myself to let it go or screw it up.

Questioning myself eventually leads to productive reasonings and answers. I always seem to find something I can work on within myself or work toward to learn and become a better me. 

I had a difficult time trying to recall a time when I had steadfast beliefs and opinions on a particular issue then changed my mind. It took a lot of questioning myself this time to answer this part of the assignment and took a long time for me to actually find something to write about. I tend to have a belief and hold on tight to that unless there is substantial and credible proof I have witnessed for myself. Otherwise, I will not change my mind.

After a long time of thinking and asking other people for their opinions, making a list, and thoroughly examining myself, I came up with the topic of religion.

I have always disliked religion. As a child religion was forced on me by my family. I was raised as a Baptist meanwhile attending a Catholic school. The different religious views didn’t mix and I found myself feeling bad simply for being a human in one religion and the other was highly exclusive. My child-mind was opposed to religion immediately thereafter. I wanted to feel good about who I was, not find another reason to dislike myself. 

Now as an adult I can see how religion has helped many people stay hopeful in times of crisis and distress. I can see how religion can create communities and bring people together.  I see how beneficial it is to believe in a higher power. I don’t necessarily buy the idea of the man in a big chair sitting on a cloud; however, I can relate to a power or energy that is bigger than me and any other human, the energy that has created the Universe and all humans.

Earlier as a child my limitations were caused by my child mind, I didn’t have the clarity to think things through as I was merely a child. Then finding other like-minded individuals, majorities of a cultural norm, who like me thought that religion was only a way of creating control over the masses, created barriers in my critical thinking process of what religion actually is. Using logical correctness, it is impossible to have a god or one who has made everything be a human man. And in searching to find out the truth of what religion actually is, I realized that using logical thinking helped me. Obviously, there was some type of force or energy that made the planets line up the way they are, our living giving star �" the Sun, and created humans, among other things.

So, with clarity, precision, and consistency I have determined that yes, a higher power exists. And it is those organized religions, the extremists, and the people who want to control others under the guise of religion, that have given religion a bad name. Those things are not what religion is about in my opinion. It is ok to believe in something especially if it makes you feel good about yourself. I tend to use logical reasoning when my beliefs are concerned. And still, I find myself having difficulties changing my mind on a matter when I fully believe in it, unless substantial evidence can prove why I should change my mind.