I Become Therefore I Matter

“I think, therefore I am.”

Descartes gave us a powerful tool to confirm existence. If thought proves that we exist, then reflection confirms that we are aware of that existence. But here’s the limitation: existence alone is not the goal. Existence is the starting line, not the finish.

The real challenge – maybe even the purpose – is not simply to exist but to be and ultimately to become.

Existence vs. Becoming

In an earlier work, I explored the distinction between existence and being. Existing is passive. Being is active. It requires engagement with our ecosystem. But becoming – that takes it one step further.

Becoming is transformational. It is the intentional shaping of who we are through reflection, choice, and action. To ask “Who do I want to be?” is not merely to daydream. It is to participate in the actual process of becoming that person. Identity, then, is not a static label. It is an unfolding story, constantly authored by lived experience.

Beyond Self-Authoring

Many frameworks in leadership and psychology talk about self-authoring—the idea that we can script our own lives. It’s valuable, but incomplete. Transformation demands more than writing a narrative about ourselves. It requires us to live into it.

We don’t transform through words on a page. We transform by choosing courage over comfort, service over self, and growth over stagnation. Transformation is less about describing who we are and more about aligning our actions with who we are striving to become.

The Ecosystem of Becoming

Erich Fromm reminds us that even the smallest interaction with another human changes us. Transformation doesn’t happen in isolation; it occurs in the interplay between the self and the world. Fritjof Capra goes further, showing us that life is an interconnected web. To transform is to step consciously into that web and decide how we will impact it.

If existence says “I am here,” then becoming says “I matter.” We matter not because we occupy space, but because we shape the space we occupy.

A Call to Transformation

So here is the call:

• Don’t stop at existing – anyone can do that.
• Don’t settle for self-description – words without action are empty.
• Step into transformation – reflect, decide, and act in ways that make you better, and in ways that make the whole better.

Because in the end, “I think, therefore I am” may prove you exist. But “I become, therefore I matter” proves you are transforming.

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JC Glick serves as the Chief Executive Officer of The COMMIT Foundation. JC brings with him a wealth of experience as a leadership consultant and career Army officer and is driven by a deep commitment to supporting veterans in their transition journey. Since transitioning from 20 years of military service in 2015, JC has been a founder and partner of two leadership companies, where his clients included Fortune 500 companies, international non-profit organizations, government agencies, the NFL, numerous NFL and NBA teams, and multiple NCAA programs.

Over the course of his Army career, JC spent over seven years in the Ranger regiment, serving in two Ranger Battalions as well as Regimental Headquarters, participating in the Best Ranger Competition twice, and has over seven and a half years of command time with 11 operational and combat deployments to Haiti, Bangladesh, Iraq, and Afghanistan. JC is the author of two books, including A Light in the Darkness: Leadership Development for the Unknown. In 2017, he was selected as a TEDX Speaker and delivered Rethinking Leadership at TEDX Hammond. JC is also an adjunct professor at St. John’s University in Queens, New York. He holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Rhode Island and is a Liberty Fellow, part of the Aspen Institute.

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.