the comments aren’t for anyone tho.

they kinda do. unless you are aware that they do, then you can help alleviate the momentum of the past.

trees have limbs.

lol

this is very true. i think the “I am” part is loose for a lot of people here. what does “I am” mean? the thoughts you experience? the actions you take? the conscious awareness of existing? if we were unaware of things but still living, we would be exactly what our experiences in the past made us to be. because we are aware of things sometimes, those awarenesses reveal secondary options of action. because of our desire to sometimes not be a certain way, we bring awareness to that part and can see obvious solutions and choices that are better than the ones we’ve been making without awareness.

it’s pretty cool to think about. and not so easily summed up. and i think this quote needs much more context since it’s not clear at all where the quote is being applied.

i always think it’s applied to people trying to cope with having a terrible past and not letting they define them. well, i think it most certainly does define you in a way. but so does awareness to those issues. so imo it’s all good. just be aware of it and choices present themselves where they can. like a choice vacuum. once awareness sets in, choices are possible and fill the vacuum of feeling like there’s no other choice. because quickly you are able to see room for them.

well i think the exact opposite. but it’s a nice sentiment.

we are because of what happened to us. that’s why we sneeze the way we do. believes the things we grew up learning. act the way we do.

to choose who to become. what does that even mean? if we choose to become something isn’t that part of the past after that something is achieved? so if we chose to become something it’s in the past. so we are therefore not that?

i get that maybe in certain circumstances, having had a shitty life doesn’t mean you are shitty. but it’s because of those experiences that we decide to not be shitty. if we had a good life and are good, we would remain good and our past assisted in that goodness.

so it may be a targeted quote for people who are not where they want to be. but that’s still them. accepting it is productive imo. then using that awareness to guide future actions. but it’s still you. and because of the past you couldn’t be any other way. so might as well accept it. then use that to go forward with consciousness.