Free is what we essentially are. Embracing freedom is our natural state of being, as natural as breathing. Still, many of us are chained to the belief that we are not free. We change our outer context to achieve a glimpse of the freedom we long for. Daydreaming of quitting our job and wandering around, bettering the world, contributing a meaningful way.
Those of us who already took this path, know by now that even this form of freedom is conditioned by our nature as human being, subjected to needs. Don’t lose hope, quite yet, though. Give it a thought! What kind of freedom you are looking for? Once that is out of the way, you can decide what to do the invite that freedom in your life.
Meditation can give you a sense of the freedom inside. The authentic kind of freedom: emancipation from thought, from fear and from want. Here are some practical aspects about this flavour of freedom.
1. Be the thinker, not the thought
Are you listening to whatever thoughts you have running through your mind? Do you trust your thoughts? As real and true as they might seem, they are not always. Thoughts are like a circle of kids dancing, grabbing you by the hand and inviting you to join. Now it’s only a matter of choice.
If your thoughts are useful and empowering, let them unfold. Become a conscious thinker not a thought blind-follower! The difference is that once you start practising meditation, you will soon realize that most thoughts are just there to keep you from fully expanding into your freedom of choice.
2. Befriend your mind, free yourself from fear
How many times in your life have you said “Next time… next time I’ll surely do it.” Be it read your poetry in front of people, sharing with people how you actually feel or overcoming your fear of flying. Our minds resort to fear as if it was a comforting teddy bear that has always been there. It might as well be so. Fear is comforting. It’s familiar, it’s what you already know, altering, suffocating, but at least known.
Fear will continue to be there and occupy the space of your freedom. Unless you choose differently. Will you allow it to happen or will you start building constructive and empowering thinking patterns?
3. What you want is not always what you actually need
Meditation comes with clarity. What is it that you actually need? What could support you in moving further? And what is it that you project your freedom onto? “If only I were rich, I would…” Does this sound familiar? This is how we condition our mind. By putting “ifs”, “buts” and “becauses”. Make a list now of what you actually need to survive, to have a simple, fulfilled life. Prioritize. Reduce this list to ten points. Out of these ten, what is your top five?
Freedom is a matter of choice. It is a decision and a creation on a regular basis. Look into what is taking away from your freedom. You might be inclined to place the responsibility on others. What if you looked inside? What can you do now to let your inner freedom flow?