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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This first appeared in The Havok Journal on September 1, 2025.

JC Glick is the chief executive officer of The COMMIT Foundation. He is a former Army officer and leadership consultant who served 20 years in the Army, including more than seven years in the Ranger Regiment, over seven and a half years in command, and 11 operational and combat deployments to Haiti, Bangladesh, Iraq, and Afghanistan. For The Havok Journal, he writes mainly about leadership, veteran transition, resilience, and life after service. He is the author of two books, an adjunct professor at St. John’s University, and holds a degree in political science from the University of Rhode Island.

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.