I Try, Therefore I Am

I Try, Therefore I Am

A doubt about myself — a small thought that can stir storms in one’s life.

Yes, it does.

When I see

a woman with thick, long strands of hair,

someone who became independent at twenty-two,

someone who can socialise endlessly without draining their social battery,

someone who owns premium watches, clothes, shoes, and cars,

someone with a bundle of dachshunds,

clear skin, a flat tummy,

a healthy family, and an iPhone —

I doubt myself.

I become a skeptic of my choices, my interests, my inconsistent actions,

the bonds I build, the bonds I fail to keep.

I doubt it all.

I know I am even capable of hating it.

But I try.

Even if it is only for a minute each day,

it is still me manifesting my ambitions,

working towards them.

It is a reminder to myself and to my world:

I try, therefore I am.

As long as I try, I exist.

Existence — the greatest truth, the single undeniable truth of the universe.

This reflection is inspired by the French philosopher René Descartes, who proposed the statement, “I think, therefore I am.” He argued that the only indubitable truth is our existence — empirically proven by the very act of thinking. Even doubt, being a form of thought, confirms that we exist.

Doubt is an undeniable part of my life.

It pushes me toward uncomfortable limits.

It is proof of who I am.

I am myself as long as I try —

because my way of trying is mine alone,

regardless of the outcome.