the odds the odds!

After seeing Gabor Mate a week ago - wow do I love him - I was really struggling with the old pre-determined vs free arguments. Sapolsky, Martinez, and others vs a podcast I just heard with Kathryn Paige (and many others).

I've said before it's all about the odds. That's my life perspective. Vaccines are not guarantees to not getting sick. Broccoli is not guarantee you'll be healthy. Smoking is no guarantee you'll be sick. It's just affecting odds one way or another.

And, we have to be real honest. Our brains, our DNA, our childhood traumas (or lack thereof), our parents, schools, friends, cultures, have a massive, massive, massive affect on those odds.

As in so massive I get the argument that we don't really have any choices. As in 80% of your life massive. As in, if you're reading this and disagreeing that's only because you have a brain that wants to, can, and/or is trying to convince you it's not that massive.

Yes, some people are never going to heal like others. Some are never going to "make it" like others. Some are never going to understand, love, forgive, find freedom, on and on like others because of no choice of their own.

It's hard. It's frustrating but it sends our efforts to the right spots instead of the wrong ones and, in the end, really does bring a lot more freedom.