The gift of freedom…
Ample freedom is a precious state of being.
There are few sensations as profound as the sense that you have a say in the way your life plays out, and that you could pursue the aspirations that matter to you.
Appropriate personal autonomy is the cornerstone of dignity. It is a treasure that brings a permanent spring to your step. And the understanding that you are entitled to take charge of decisions in your life, whether small or big, simple or daunting, is crucial to your happiness.
Is permissible freedom one of your prized values? Because what you value in life, tends to flourish in your own life.
Personal liberty is born from an unshackled mind. It starts with confronting – and undoing – any form of inner captivity. Many of our outer constraints correlate with our unresolved innermost confinements.
Being kind to yourself is a good starting point; self-condemnation is a harsh sentence. And be careful not to be held hostage by fruitless mental paradigms; restrictive inner dialogues, limiting beliefs or debilitating dogmas can become ever-present bindings. Beware also of bitterness, as holding on to grudges can detain you in a loop of chronic negativity.
A light heart and spacious spirit represent the purest form of freedom. Refuse inner incarceration.
But make no mistake, outer freedom is a delicate matter too. It demands ongoing reinforcement and practical dedication; entails safeguarding your time, owning your privacy, taking responsibility for your health, selecting your relationships with care, guarding over your finances, fostering your intellectual growth, choosing integrity as your compass… Legitimate self-rule requires active participation. When you purposefully govern yourself, you are less likely to be swayed by the world’s external influences or disagreeable conventions.
May you choose to keep the possibility of freedom alive to its fullest in your life; to live a life beyond the bondages of inner turmoil – and the constraints of external control, incentives, or coercion. May you cherish your freedom, without having to lose part of it first to remind you of the privilege of self-determination. May you never use it to the disadvantage of others. And may you choose mindful self-stewardship, and so preserve the rightful liberty you were born to enjoy!