Circumstances DO NOT Make a Man, They Reveal Him

Circumstances DO NOT Make a Man, They Reveal Him

Optimists would claim that Circumstances Make a Man.  I beg to disagree because the circumstances itself DO NOT make a man. But instead, these circumstances will reveal that man.  Even the poet John Donne wrote that poem referring to mankind's intrinsically connected nature.  Despite his original intention, that poem also serves as an excellent illustration of man's dependency upon his culture to define him.  No man is an island unto himself and no man can be evaluated independent of the things which define his culture.  

A Samurai raised in Japan would not hold the same value as feudal Japan.  The circumstance surrounding a man's existence and placement in society are instrumental in defining him.  A person's value is ultimately dictated by their respective culture.  And that culture is ultimately a conglomeration of circumstances which have been grouped into the things that signify it.  If Bill Gates had been born two hundred years earlier on in a ranch in Texas, we would not remember him as such a great innovator because the skills he possessed wouldn't have made him a great man in a ranching society.

Ouch, this one-liner hurts but it's true.  When we get squeezed, the real YOU comes out.  When we feel the pressure, the true YOU surfaces.  So, we got to buckle down and really agree how should we handle pressure.  When this Covid pandemic broke out almost two years ago from today, we were all thrown off-guarded.  So, let's come down to brass tactics so we can have a good handle of PRESSURE.  First off, IDENTIFY YOUR TRIGGERS.  What causes you to get pressured ?  Is it when you see in your email inbox there is an email from your boss ?  Or is it when your cash flow starts to dry up ?

Those TRIGGERS could be issues that come out regularly. Or it could be one-off events like taking an exam or moving house.  Or it could be stressful events like serious problems in the workplace.  Next off, address some of the causes  Although there will probably lots of things in your life that you can't do anything about, there might be some practical ways you could do resolve or improve some of the issues that that are putting pressure on you.

To cap things all, this is non-negotiable.  We need to ACCEPT THE THINGS WE CANNOT CHANGE.  Oh well, it's never easy but accepting that there are some things happening to you that you probably can't do anything about will help you focus your time and energy more productively.  As an icing on the cake, let us endeavor to develop our RESILIENCE, which is not just your ability to bounce back but also your capacity to adapt in the face of challenging circumstances ⌛⏳⌛