How Free are You?

We would all like to believe that we live in a free society; feel liberated and be under the illusion that we live life the way we want to. But take a moment to ask yourself how free you really are. Not from a social, political or cultural perspective. No. Ask yourself – how free am I from within?

The crutches

Count the many crutches you desperately hold on to in terms of relationships, habits, traits, likes, dislikes, desires, ambitions, expectations, demands etc. Things you believe you absolutely ‘must have’ to be happy. The absence of which leaves you in a state of dissatisfaction and discontentment and whose presence may provide temporary joy, but ultimately leave you insecure and anxious with the possibility of losing it all.

The emotional demons

All those convincing conversations you have in your head that self-create countless ugly heads (demons) that pop up every now and then. These demons of hatred, jealousy, envy, greed, guilt, shame, anxiety, stress, anger, and other such unhealthy, negative emotions will dance around in your mind 24×7. They make you act in ways you don’t really want to, but feel helpless. It’s as if they have enslaved you.

Photo by Fuu J on Unsplash

So, how free are you then?

Ask yourself this simple question; introspect and know that until you remain in their shackles, you will never really taste freedom. It’s obviously not easy to break free from years of enslavement, but certainly not impossible. Once done think how wonderful, light, refreshed, and re-energised you would feel. Each breath you take will truly be yours.

The road to freedom

All you have to do is begin with awareness and honesty. Identify all the ‘shoulds’ and ‘must haves’ in your life and ask yourself if the world would really end if you couldn’t have those things or would merely seem so, at that point in time. This time may be challenging to get through; however, eventually, you will get through it!

Also, recognise when your mental dialogue triggers those disagreeable reactions to undesired situations and try changing that thought process to get more reasonable responses that make you feel better.

The bottom line is – only when you are able to rise above and free yourself from within, can you truly say you are free. Yes, there is a price to pay for this freedom – that of awareness, commitment and consistent effort towards change. Trust me, the ROI (Return of Investment) is totally worth it!