I AM DETERMINED TO DETERMINE THE COURSE FOR MY LIFE

BY:  Laura Mirabal

I CAN EXERCISE MY FREE WILL WITHOUT EXPERIENCING FATE.

I CAN EXPERIENCE FATE WITHOUT EXCERSING MY FREE WILL

I CAN EXERCISE MY FREE WILL AND EXPERIENCE FATE.

I HAVE GOD-GIVEN FREEDOM TO MAKE WHATEVER CHOICES I WANT FOR MY LIFE.

I AM NOT A PURE DETERMINIST YET I KNOW I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE FORCES OF NATURE (I.E., WHEN THE SUN RISES, HIGH TIDE, THE CHANGING OF THE SEASONS)

I BELIEVE IN PREDESTINATION, BUT I’M NOT A FATALIST.

I WAS BROUGHT UP IN A GOD-FEARING HOME AND TAUGHT THAT CHOICES WERE EITHER GOOD OR EVIL (AS PERCEIVED BY OUR FAITH) AND OF COURSE, I SHOULD ALWAYS CHOOSE. GOOD.

I WAS TAUGHT THAT BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISIONS I SHOULD FIRST CONSIDER THE FEELINGS OF OTHERS.  MY FEELINGS AND WELL-BEING WERE NOT A CONSIDERATION FROM THE ON-SET.

I BELIEVE MY FREEDOM OF CHOICE (OR FEE WILL) IS LIMITED BY THE LONG-TERM CAUSES AND EFFECTS THOSE CHOICES MAY HAVE ON OTHERS AND MYSELF.  BECAUSE I WILL ALWAYS ASK MYSELF, “HOW MY CHOICES WILL AFFECT SOMEONE ELSE.”

I AGREE WITH SKINNER THAT THE CHOICES I MAKE TODAY ARE INFLUENCED BY MY PAST EXPERIENCES OF REWARDS AND PUNISHMENT.  I BELIEVE THAT CHOICES I MAKE TODAY WILL AFFECT THE FUTURE (MINE AND THOSE AROUND ME).  I FEEL A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THOSE CHOICES. 

I BELIEVE THAT EVEN WHEN I CHOOSE NOT TO MAKE A DECISION I AM STILL EXERCING MY FREE WILL.

I AM MORE OF A SELF-DETERMINIST THAN A PURE DETERMINIST.  TO ME DETERMINISM AND FREE WILL GO HAND-IN-HAND, LIKE NIGHT AND DAY.

I BELIEVE IN GOD, THEREFORE, I BELIEVE IN PREDESTINATION. HE DECIDED I WOULD BE FEMALE, WHO MY PARENTS WOULD BE.  WHERE AND WHEN I WOULD BE BORN - WHO MY SIBLINGS WOULD BE, ETC.

I BELIEVE GOD HAS A PLAN FOR OUR LIVES.  BELIEVING THIS HELPS ME DEAL WITH ADVERSITY AND EVENTS I CANNOT CHANGE OR CONTROL, AND WHEN THE CHOICES I’VE MADE WERE NOT WISE OR DIDN’T HAVE THE OUTCOME I EXPECTED, FOR MYSELF OR OTHERS. 

THEREFORE, I TEND TO ALWAYS FOLLOW EVERY STATEMENT REFERRING TO A FUTURE EVENT WITH THE AFFIRMATION, “GOD WILLING”.

I CANNOT EXERCISE FREE WILL WITHOUT BELIEF IN DETERMINISM.  BELIEVING THAT I DON’T HAVE FULL CONTROL OF MY WORLD GIVES ME A COMFORT LEVEL.  I BELIEVE THAT GOOD CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT EVIL, JUST AS NIGHT CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT DAY.

I AGREE WITH SOCRATES, GOOD AND BAD/EVIL IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER.

I AM A SELF-DETERMINIST.