Freedom

Spirit

Essential Living Blog

Lately, I’ve been thinking about freedom and what that means to me. I asked myself am I really free if I’m tied to a job that I hate, acquiescing to the whims of my family because of tradition, or just going along to get along? The answer is a resounding no!

So now what? I believe we each have to define freedom for ourselves. That definition can lead you to your life’s purpose. I think to genuinely be free is to live a life that is authentic to you. The problem is we have been so indoctrinated to assimilate, to be like everyone else to fit in. That’s why we celebrate people like Lady Gaga. They dare to be different and to bring their creative genius or madness into the world.

So, defining freedom for myself means that I don’t care what people think of me anymore. I am not trying to please anyone but myself. To get to this point was a long winding road. It wasn’t easy as I was raised to be a people pleaser, keep the peace between my siblings and me, and help no matter what it costs me. When you do that, you lose yourself, or better yet, you never find yourself. You never find out what inspires you and make you want to run out into the world with open arms. I like to call this dying a thousand deaths.

Today, dare to define what freedom means to you. Do something different than your usual, something that makes your heart sing. Don’t worry about how it looks or who’s watching. This is your time to start defining your life the way you want it. I know, it’s scary. But, take a deep breath and then jump! You will be glad you did!