If I put you in a spotlight and ask you the following question, what would you do if you wake up tomorrow with no limitations? How would you spend the rest of your day? Who would you want to spend your time with and where would you want to be?
Do you think you will be able to answer this question? I have asked this question to many people and the majority of them fail to answer. Truth is that most people have never thought about how their perfect day would look like. If you look at it this way, you would realize that somewhere in the journey of reaching to the point where you are, you lost your freedom. You gave your life’s reign to the society that dictated you what to seek and how to live.
What is the freedom that we are talking about?
If you look up for the definition of the word freedom, you will find that freedom is the power and the right to speak, think, and act the way you want. But is it the freedom that we are talking about?
The freedom that we are talking about is personal to you. Something that you looked forward to in life and consider to be the ideal for yourself. For me, freedom is packing my bag to travel to different countries, experiment with life, and working in different places. People discover their freedom in their own lifestyle, could be based around their family or friends. Something that gives them a sense of belongingness and makes them part of a larger community.
Why do we find freedom out of our control?
Like I mentioned before everyone has their own version of freedom and it is up to you, what you want to choose. For some, freedom is to have flown around the globe. For some, it is living on the doorsteps of nature. Others want the freedom to vote, to marry, or to stay single. Try asking people if they feel free. You will get varied responses with a common underlined tone. That tone is ‘what I want in life is contingent on something that is out of my control’. For example, you will hear things like “I can do what I want only when I am financially free”, “If I quit my job then only I can do what I want”, etc.
What we all need to realize is the fact that Freedom is more of a state of mind. It stems from your thoughts and feelings. You need to detach yourself from the inner critic that tells you what you can do and what you can not. Although I agree that all of us are born in different circumstances, some are more privileged than others. Not everyone has equal access to quality healthcare, education, money, and rights. You may not have control over the externalities in life, but you sure can change what goes on the inside.
What can you do to achieve more freedom?
1. Define your freedom for yourself
Most of the people have no definite answer to what freedom means to them on a personal level. If asked they will tell you things which are general in nature and nothing that attributes its meaning to them. You will have to question yourself, “What is that one thing that makes you feel free?” Write down whatever comes to your mind to assess it. You can even discuss it with your friends and other people who matter.
2. Find the “Why” or the reason you want the freedom
After you have identified things that matter to you, it is important to know the reason why. If you are able to find the purpose of “freeing” yourself it is easier to achieve what you want. Make sure you write down the purpose right where you wrote the definition of freedom.
3. Act on it
It is important you plan and map out the required actions. It is important to know what you need and what you want on an individual level and who is a better fit to do this job, if not you. You first need to be clear of the lifestyle you want and how you want it to be. Therefore, it is important you let the questions guide to find the answer you are looking for.