Autonomy

I used to think that bare trees were ugly.

Take a minute and really think about what it means to be human?

To be human is to be alive, it is having the capacity to actively engage with others and the world, but most importantly, humanity is distinguished by autonomy.

It's easy to forget that last quality • autonomy • because we exist in a fast world, with obligations piling up higher everyday, and pressures from society and inside ourselves to think, feel, and behave a certain way. These aspects, along with the fact that there are so many things in life we have zero control over, persuade us that our autonomy is limited, even nonexistent, but this couldn't be farther from the truth.

Autonomy is not a control mechanism.

Autonomy is an individual's volition, his or her capacity to choose.

Winter is inevitable in Rochester, and the trees will go bare.

I can either wake up with a pout on my face because the world around me isn't exactly to my liking, or I can throw away my past conceptions, disengage in the attachments I have to a specific "type" of world, and open myself up to an honest interpretation of the world around me by becoming aware and accepting of life for what it actually is. Being autonomous is being aware, of yourself and of your world.

With a clear understanding of who you are and what you endorse, you have the capacity of making decisions that reflect your values, and suddenly your actions are no longer motivated from the outside or the introjects inside - every behavior, every belief, every encounter is yours to own. Isn't that freedom in perspective kinda fun?

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