Freedom
Every individual’s greatest longings are for two aspects and these alone. HAPPINESS and FREEDOM. And what’s amazing is that they’re inter-related and inter-connected. But, WHAT IS Freedom? What does it mean to ‘BE FREE’? If we want to ‘Break Free’, then from what? Have we lost our Freedom amidst life’s hardships, or do we just perceive it that way? We all perceive and speak of a freedom that we feel a deep need for. But in reality are we ready for the RESPONSIBILITY that ‘FREEDOM’ brings along? I ask you this because questions urge one to think…analyze…arrive. Ever since our earliest years, our conditioning prepares us for bondage! We have voices all around us telling us what our every next step should be. And somewhere amidst all these external voices, we lose touch with our own internal self-dialogue and self-guidance. As children, following instructions becomes such a mechanical part of our lives, that going forward, even as adults we find it difficult to function without them. This is why we blindly resort to norms and procedures, rules and regulations, customs and traditions without ever stopping to question them. Because somewhere that’s keeping us within the safety of our comfort zones. And this may take you by surprise, but all the magic is truly happening outside those zones! If one wants to ‘Break Free’ then there’s no better a time than now. But that would mean that one can no longer take shelter of ‘blame’ when things don’t turn out as planned. Because THAT is the responsibility that Freedom brings along. That is the respect individual choices demand.
Even though we see change as a constant, all around us, yet we RESIST it the most. And in doing that, we hamper our own growth. Like water that stagnates, we too turn moribund within the confines of conditioning. But someone wise once said, ‘’all that adopts to change transforms, and that which resists, withers’’ Freedom isn’t an object that we need go in search of. It’s a state. One that’s unraveled from your within or simply arrived at. The freedom to be yourself comes when you stop comparing yourself with others. The freedom to choose comes when you stop deciding by elimination. The freedom to live a life of your choice comes when you stop blaming others and start taking responsibility. The freedom to excel comes when you allow yourself to fail. Allowing yourself to fail, just as much as you push yourself toward success IS complete freedom. We have created our own definitions of success and failure: That which works as per plan we call success, and that which goes against, we term failure. But, in life’s larger picture, when you can look at both success and failure as an integral part of an experience, it’s then that you’re looking at the picture in its entirety. In allowing yourself to fail, you are not preparing to fail, but just giving it its due respect. Failure does not mean that we have lost; it’s only an indication saying: ‘hey, look & think differently; try a new path!’ In fact, failure makes sure you don’t stagnate; it brings you new horizons, ones that were otherwise nowhere in your purview. Success may surely give you happiness, but it also adds a small element of arrogance, maybe even superiority, which only stunts one’s growth curve. So at the end of the day, if you were to evaluate what failure gave you in comparison to success, you’d only be thanking failure to contributing towards your growth! Here’s a simple test you can put yourself to, to see where you stand: See how you respond to little changes that come your way… It could be as simple as sudden schedule changes during your week… a shift in movie plans, a dinner with cousins being called off, your young one coming down with a fever when you’ve a big lunch planned… right up to the big ones… international travel planned down right to the tiniest detail - being called off due to an emergency, stepping down from a flourishing career to take care of an ailing elder in the family or even something as severe as a health hazard faced by oneself. Are WE ready? If not, we surely are on the path to getting there. Let’s start with the small things. Let’s open up to life’s random and beautiful experiences.With Flexibility and Acceptance, we can go a long way.
