I sugjest strongly considering the following – how free are you? Are you a slave to your attachments, aversions, desires, or emotions? Do you struggle with codependency with others? How many addictions might you be battling? Step back and recognize any and all of these current situations first. Do not beat yourself up for any of them either, but plan next steps for what you will do about them now that you see them. Do not turn a no-longer-blind eye away. Use your freedom to live life your way. There are not many rules we should follow regularly. Why do you think the guardrails have not expanded in over a year now? Do no harm to yourself and others. Beyond that, live life as you see fit. We each have so much freedom to exercise if we but only choose to see and act upon it. I exercised my freedom to take the last two weeks off. It felt refreshing and rejuvenating.
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.
-Thích Nhất Hanh
We understand very clearly that to be a person with high morals is to be a person with a liberated soul.
-Confucius
Those who are disappointed or concerned or afraid, or who are involved in passions, cannot free their souls.
Control is one of the saddest things I can think of. Why do we feel such a strong pull or almost a seeming need to control things? It provides us with a false sense of security; it helps us feel safe amidst all of the supposed chaos. Freedom does not require control. The best and freest movements in life happen in flow states. Openly surrendering, we give up control and freely flow in the moment. No ego at play. No posturing present. A light and free soul simply doing what it knows is best. That is quintessential freedom.
The initial joy on becoming free is better than being a king;
-Buddhist Wisdom
it is more beautiful than going to heaven;
it is more important than commanding whole worlds.
Many of us think we are free right now. I think a number of us are sadly deluded, though. A false sense of freedom within a systematic construct is still captivity. If you think you have to follow certain rules only to avoid punishment, then are you acting freely? You should already know within yourself what is right and wrong. You should still behave positively and upliftingly towards yourself and others because it is the best action for you to freely and willingly do. If you only act and behave according to societal influences, then just how free are you? How deeply are you truly exploring your full potential?
May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right.
-Peter Marshall
I write and actively work on my self-improvement because I want to find ways to be my best self. I want to expand and improve as deeply and fully as I can during this lifetime; I want to be as free as I can. These goals are not selfish or egotistical because I am a better being when I live life according to these natural, universal laws. I freely choose to respect myself and others, I freely share more love with myself and others, and I freely find ways daily to help myself and others. What are you doing with your freedom? Are you freely sharing it in such a way that it multiplies and proliferates among all you cross lanes with?
Everyone has a right to peaceful coexistence, the basic personal freedoms, the alleviation of suffering, and the opportunity to lead a productive life.
-Jimmy Carter
Freedom works best when shared among all. We should all strive to lift everyone up; we will all be better off knowing we can all win. There do not need to be any losers here. True, everlasting freedom is not a zero sum game; it is a cooperative effort for our souls.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.