~Continuing To Be~

The definition of existing is said " to continue to be" (The Free Dictionary). While social norms and cultures have input of who we become, they don't entirely mold us as children. As we begin to age we make conscious choices that begin the mold of adulthood. At this point we can catch the "norms" our parents displayed and choose to follow in those "norms" or begin to make "norms" of our own. I am a firm believer that products of environments can be conceived as "norms" when in reality they are just twisted figments of someone's destructive behaviors. I try to look at myself and they ways that I behave and I am seeing that while at one point I felt I was just a by product of my environment, I now see what I carry from that. This would be referred to as the "baggage" that comes from past relationships. In order to save one's self from being another by product (while never guaranteed that it won't happen again) there are certain defense modes that one retreats to in order to protect themselves. While these mechanisms, in probability,  never truly protect us, we revert to them in hopes of saving ourselves from further inflicted damage. One may find an attitude to use in which to cope, that they use to have continuity. Absolute survival of the fittest and fitting oneself in any way possible. So continuing to be.......is this survival, or this looking at who we are and making ourselves into the person, we used to be, want to be, dream to be, long to be, or we just going to be....