What does choosing life mean?

There is something soothing about life.

Indeed, with its repetitive seasons, life always goes on.

Yes, life keeps going on in both happy and adverse times.

Life keeps moving on after the death of our loved ones.

Life will also surely keep moving on after our own end, despite anyone’s sorrow.

When someone’s life is meant to be/continue to be, nothing prevents it; neither danger nor earlier risk in the prenatal period.

Of course, this is not the case when early or later prenatal stages of what would/could have been life are not compatible with full-blown life, postpartum.

Bearing the above in mind, this post, which is not a reflection about the natural process of life and death, focuses on the choice of life; despite the concurrent option of despair and even death, in times of adversity—both personal and collective.

To begin with, what is the nature of this force within us that keeps driving us to choose life daily and at different stages of our lives, regardless of any adversity or of the meaning we give to our existence? It is fascinating, isn’t it?

Regardless of circumstances, especially dark ones, how can we learn to keep welcoming honouring, listening to, and enjoying life force, with any resulting attitude or behaviour?

What role does introspection—capacity to look within—play in consciously choosing and embracing the will to live? Live as an innate drive to survive, but also as a chosen force to process human experience, cope or grieve, grow, thrive, and flourish.

What role does our naturally changing circumstances play in all this? Or rather what meaning do we want to give to those circumstances? In what ways do we want to interact with certain elements from our circumstances in harmony with our life values?

Of note, some elements of our context—or rather our transactions or relationships with them—may be nourishing for us. Yet others may be limiting and even potentially destructive. Same for the elements or characteristics that belong to us. They can be nourishing to others. They can also be potentially harmful. The latter are not the responsibility of others. They are not even excused by any circumstances. These personal elements—attitude or behaviours—can adversely impact others while being self-destructive in the long-term, whether consciously or not. So what to do about them?

To conclude this post filled with questions, may we all be lucid while being as psychologically flexible as possible to self-reflect, as needed, and to navigate life and relationships—with ourselves as well as others—in the most authentic way possible.