Freedom

"Life's greatest freedom is having nothing to prove." - unknown.

The Merriam-Webster definition of freedom is- the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom is a human right that everyone says they want and some have fought and died for, but how does one acquire freedom? Is it given to us by an outside source, or does it spring from something internal? If it is "granted" to us by a source outside ourselves, it can then be taken away, so is that really freedom? Things such as political rights and civil rights are worth defending, but are they what make someone free? "The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion." - Albert Camus. From what I can tell, true freedom requires the bearer to have no fear of consequence, fear of judgment, or fear of loss. Maybe not a total absence of fear, but an absence of being ruled by that fear. "The secret of happiness is freedom, and the secret of freedom, courage." - Thucydides. Why would being free need courage?

I think that there is some confusion about the concept of "freedom". In the financial world, many people claim to want the freedom that comes from not having to worry about money, when what they actually mean is that they desire a comfortable life. Many want the benefits that having money will afford them (better medical care, better treatment in the legal system, etc.) without having to be accountable or without having to accept the consequences of their actions. Wouldn't it be great to sashay through life without guilt, shame, or regret, all the while never having others disapprove or abandon you? But this cannot be, for consequence always follows choice. "Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility." - Sigmund Freud.

"We cannot have it both ways: if we are free, we are responsible; if we are not responsible, we are not free." - Fulton Sheen. I have always hated being controlled. Yet, to have the freedom to self-govern, I must be held accountable for my actions. As a free person, I must be willing to repair any harm that my choices have caused, whether intentional or unintentional. I must be open to feedback that I don't want to hear. All of this, taking on the responsibility of the aftermath of the things that I do, requires a great deal of courage.

Mistakes are inevitable, and success is sometimes just a matter of luck, so it also requires that I not hate myself for the bad choices I have made, nor take pride in the good ones. I must also let go of the outcomes, as we never fully understand the consequences of our actions. "Letting go... gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything, anger, anxiety, or possessions, we cannot be free." - Thich Nhat Hanh. Being responsible means that I own my intentions and must right my wrongs, but letting go means I release control of how what I do happens to unfold.

Letting go is good, but how much are we required to let go of to be free? "The secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you; depend on no one. Only the moment you can reject all help are you freed." - Swami Vivekananda. The Swami has a point, but one that I feel is hard for humans to implement. We are born helpless and need a great deal of care to grow up to the age where we can be independent. This causes us many problems when it comes to acquiring freedom later on. Everyone answers to something or someone, so are we ever truly free? "You only have power over people as long as you don't take everything away from them. But when you've robbed a man of everything, he's no longer in your power- he's free again." - Aleksander Solzhenitsyn. Does this mean that suffering and loss are the only paths to freedom? No, it is just one of the ways that some have acquired it.

We appear to have come full circle, but now there is an answer. Freedom is internal. We put limitations on ourselves to fit into society or to keep the peace in a family, and set the parameters of what it takes to be happy. Once we have nothing left, no pride or even dignity, once all of that is gone, we are free. Freedom, as it turns out, is a perspective; freedom is a choice. No one can crawl into your head and take that away from you. "I lost many years in a cage. A chained soul and a tied tongue to match. Now freedom flows like liquid flight in my veins, and I soar honestly. Met with love or hate, I will not hold back. I will not go back to that prison." -A. Shea. Find out who you are and what matters most to you, and be brave in letting go of the opinions of the world. Even if you know that your body is trapped here, you will know that you are free.

Love and Hope,

Big Sky Baby