_______, therefore I am. (A fill-in-the-blank spiritual exercise.)

Cogito ergo sum translates as “I think therefore I am” and is attributed to the early 17th century French philosopher René Descartes.

I think therefore I am.

Is thinking the sole reason for my existence?

Am I here just because I think?

While I do love to consider, cogitate, contemplate and calculate; weigh, wonder, ponder, reason and reflect; muse, mull and be oh-so-clever, I have a hard time believing that thinking is the primary cause of my existence.

But if it’s not thinking, then what is the reason?

What word or phrase would you substitute for “I think”?

_______ ergo sum.

_______ therefore I am.

Here are a few ideas:

· I complain, therefore I am.

· I have stuff, therefore I am.

· I improve on things, therefore I am.

· My parents procreated, therefore I am.

· God loves me, therefore I am.

· I create, therefore I am.

(Isn’t it interesting the way each version gives a very different perspective on life?)

Meditate on what you would put in the blank and see what you discover.

Spiritual-religious advice: Figure out what you would put into the blank in the phrase: _______ therefore I am.