Freedom

Freedom is measured in so many ways. It may mean having the ability to come and go as you please with no accountability to another, or to make your own decisions about what you want. Small steps, such as a wheelchair ramp, or larger steps like leaving a former safe haven and striking out for the unknown, all represent different types of freedom, as does taking the liberty to speak your mind and think your thoughts without fear of repercussion. So many times, though, freedom gets confused with escaping or running away. True freedom comes from having a sense of running toward something, not from something.

Burdens of our past and present lives can keep us from feeling truly free. We all carry reminders of hated restrictions imposed on us as children by seemingly unfeeling adults, convinced that they had forgotten completely what it was like to be young. Don’t we all long for the carefree days of youth, only to be followed quickly by the remembrance of our anxiousness to grow up? Growing up in an abusive or otherwise unloving environment can keep us from allowing ourselves to become emotionally available to others, locking us in a self-made prison. Only the awareness of the causes of our pain can begin to cleanse us of our reluctance to open ourselves to others and to take steps to create the lifestyle we desire.

True freedom also comes from letting go of all concerns of appearances or approval from others, of having full faith that we are exactly who we are for a very special reason, and that unless we realize that only we alone can dictate a full sense of freedom for ourselves inwardly, we will always seek it outside of ourselves. We find that random actions, another person or another place cannot make us feel free; it is entirely in our hearts and minds, and that acting on our pure knowledge of self will bring us the freedom we crave.

Carina Bachman / CrystalSpringsHealing.com
©2013